


The Tides Of An Ocean

by Nekolinda_TheFilthTruck



Category: God of War (Video Games)
Genre: 0 to 100, A little 'Slice of Life', Adorable artreus, Angst, Angst and Porn, Atreus is a bad ass, Atreus is a little brat sometimes, Atreus is aware that he is a god, Atreus is just a little bit older. Just a bit., Atreus really needs a mother figure after a long time, Atreus sees reader as a mom figure, But not unbearable Angst, Daddy kratos (¬‿¬), Dirty Talk, Everyone in this damn game is bad ass, F/M, Getting to Know Each Other, God of War (2018), Heavy smut., I promise, Kratos can be a bit of a dick sometimes, Kratos is huge (As usual), May contain spoilers!, Mutual Pining, No seriously the smut is gonna be nice n steamy, Ok i'll stop tagging (For now), Parent Kratos (God of War), Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Predator/Prey Themes, Reader is a bit of a badass, Reader is a healer, Reader is no dwarf but might as well be compared to kratos, Reader knows seiðr, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Size Difference, Slow Burn, Smut, Some Fluff, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Submission Kink, Surprise! kratos can actually show affection to both you and atreus, Tags may change slightly as the work develops, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, Will update every Friday, but slowly, but so can you, gentle to rough, kratos is best dad, will have a good ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:13:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 24,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21678820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nekolinda_TheFilthTruck/pseuds/Nekolinda_TheFilthTruck
Summary: "This is my doing. I hoped i would be able to undo it. But I do not have the means to. Pl-""Don't beg. It isn't like you. Hand the boy over. quickly.""Why are you doing this for us?" Kratos asked with suspicion"Consider it re-payment."Kratos stood silent for a minute while laying Atreus down on a bed that seemed to oddly suit him perfectly in both shape and size."Repayment..." He scoffed. "For what?"There's that pull and push again. Just like an ocean."You will learn in time." You looked over at Atreus fondly as he laid in what once was your little brother's bed.These two will be the end of you. And for some reason, you didn't mind at all.
Relationships: Atreus & Kratos (God of War), Atreus (God of War) & Reader, Kratos (God of War) & Reader, Kratos (God of War)/Reader
Comments: 80
Kudos: 325





	1. You are not ready.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> （ミ￣ー￣ミ） I am writing this WHILE playing GOW. Because for one, I actually really enjoy this game and second of all, I'm hoping to not miss any details, or at least make as minimal mistakes as possible. Why? Because you are all my lovelies (Yes you!) (▰˘◡˘▰)
> 
> >IMPORTANT< Every single chapter from beginning to end of this story has been planned out and being written out. I will slowly release them to double-check for mistakes and also to help build up :))

"Father..."

"I said no." 

"But I finally killed it! right in between the eyes!"

"You scared it off twice and cost us daylight." Kratos heaved the buck with large antlers over his shoulder as he turned his back on Atreus. His heavy footprints left marks upon the mud beneath his boots. Atreus sighed and followed suit, looking back at the sun that was only mere minutes away from setting. 

"At least we're not too far from home, right fath-"

"Silence. I wish to hear nothing from you till we return. You are not ready."

Ahh...Those famous last words. Atreus knew that meant the end of it and simply hung his head in shame, letting his arms hang loose at his sides, the grip on his bow going limp. He furrowed his thin eyebrows in frustration and let out a small huff of anger.

\---

Small wisps of burnt, freshly crackling ashes flew towards and past Kratos' face as he tossed another log into the hearth. 

"Father?" Atreus murmured quietly with his face burrowed into his arms that crossed on his pulled up knees. For some reason, Atreus felt a sharp sense of void in his chest. The only time he felt truly in pain after his mother's death was...Well, when they turned her into ash. After then he had only been able to think of her from time to time, Kratos keeping him busy by trying to sharpen his survival skills. Perhaps Kratos had been doing it on purpose, in order to distract the boy by simply keeping him busy. He knew better than anyone that Atreus had a bad habit of letting his feelings get in the way of his abilities, lest they falter at the wrong time. Having a good heart is not a bad thing, but allowing it to manifest your ability to harness common sense is completely foolish, Kratos thought. 

_I suppose I cannot blame him too much. He is just a boy._

Kratos grunted softly, acknowledging the boys' voice.

"I miss mother."

The muscular man stopped what he was doing and stared into the firepit, lost in his thoughts. His amber eyes seemed to burn along with the flames before he finally decided to close them and clench his fists slightly. "Me too." He hesitated, for just a moment. "Here, boy." he looked back at Atreus and the boy stood quickly, sitting next to his father near the hearth.

"Give it here." 

Atreus pulled the small dagger from his cloth belt and placed it in Kratos's hand gently. Watching him with curiosity. Kratos simply twisted the blade at the handle slowly, staring down at it with a hardened gaze. 

"Why did you love your mother." It was meant as a question but came out as a statement with how gruff his voice had become. The question was simple but bared heavy weight upon Atreus's small shoulders. "I-I don't _know_...She was my mom, first of all.." Kratos continued to stare at the dagger.

"She taught me almost everything I know-" Kratos quirked an eyebrow up at him and Atreus quickly responded, "I said _almost_...father. And she was much more patient than you were-"

"Have I _not_ been patient?"

"I mean she didn't apprehend me as much... Every time I'd mess up she'd just laugh it off and try to get me to try again. You're also a good teacher, sir...But...I don't know. Mother was special."

"Indeed she was."

Kratos gently placed a hand on Atreus's shoulder and looked at him with a side glance before handing him back the dagger, blade between his index and thumb, offering the handle. Atreus gave a small smile before taking it back and sliding it back into its sheath.

"I promise I won't lose it again."

"It would serve you well not to."

Silence ensued for a few seconds.

"Does this mean I can go to the moun-"

"You are not ready."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was made to give you guys a feel of what the rest of the writing will look like before you delve into this story. I hope you all don't mind.


	2. I have a name, you know?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader, what are you doing in the woods again? Ah yes...Witchcraft. ≖‿≖

"Do you have any children, Brok?" You ask with a straight face.

"I can see the amusement in your eyes, wench. No, I do not have any fucking children." He waddles over to his caravans setup. "They're too much of a hassle and Fucking gratitude over here is enough of a stress inducer already."

"Huh...I assumed you had no children because..." You halted for a moment to roll your shoulders back, a small grin on your face. "Well, perhaps your size deems you inadequate to-"

And all of a sudden, Brok had suited himself atop his table to look down at you with the _nastiest_ glare. 

"Do you want your spear enchanted or not?" Brok growled.

You simply grinned at him and slowly placed your spear on the table below him, followed by a large bag of silver. He grunted in annoyance before hopping off the table and hitting the spear once with his little hammer.

* * *

You thrusted the spear behind you with force. Between your fingers, the handle twirled once and the tip jutted forward. Those dwarves may be a headache to deal with but oh, such fun to mess with. You have to admit though, they really know their stuff when it comes to crafting and enchanting weapons. You continued to test the balance of your newly upgraded spear for a while, only to have the runes that were carved in the middle of the handle and just beneath the tip to start glowing the softest shade of blue you've ever seen.

_How curious. These would only ever glow a darker shade of blue...Since when had it begun to do this?_

A feeling of unease began to gather in your gut. You placed the bottom of your spear flat against the ground and silently scanned your perimeter. Nothing. 

_Crack._ Your head quickly turned towards the source of noise to find a very small boy with a bow in his hand stare at you. It appears he stepped on a branch. You arched an eyebrow at him. 

"Uh. Hello...Your very good with that spear." He said. Oh, had he been watching you? He was adorable. But you highly doubted a child as young as he came unaccompanied. This was proven correct when you hear an unbelievably deep voice arise from behind him. 

"Boy, who are you speaking to?" 

The minute Atreus looked back at his father, you disappeared. 

"There's a lady here-' He pointed towards where you stood while Kratos walked towards him. He turned around in hoped to perhaps introduce you. But just like that, you were gone. 

"Well... _was_ here. Where did she go?" He scampered off right next to the spot you stood and looked down. 

"See? she stood right here only seconds ago, father."

Kratos walked towards the boy and looked at the small imprints of your boots on the dirt. A small groan of disapproval came from Kratos while he gently patted Atreus's back.

"Do not dwell on it. Continue your hunt."

Atreus responded with a quiet 'yes sir' and ignored your tracks to instead pursue the ones of a boar that had recently passed by. Kratos stayed back in an attempt to examine the environment around them, searching for this mysterious 'woman' Atreus spoke of. After unsuccessfully attempting to spot you anywhere near him, he huffed and turned around to follow Atreus. 

"You should've seen her father. I think she was really pretty." The small boy quickly commented.

Kratos ignored this. But you smiled softly to yourself while observing them from above after hearing the boys sincere compliment. You tried to stay as still as possible while leaning against the tree. You had learned the hard way recently that branches are unreliable and can be incredibly loud to those looking for you. 

'So _That_ is your father. You seem awfully nice for a boy who belongs to such a brutish looking man.' you thought to yourself. You mindlessly toyed with the tip of your spear, accidentally nicking yourself on your index finger, bringing your attention back to reality after being lost in your thoughts about your younger brother.

"Oh, Dagr...How I wish you could've had a chance to see another boy your age," you whispered quietly. You began to feel...hurt. Your heart thrummed gently against your chest as you thought of your deceased younger brother. 

* * *

_"You need to breathe."_

_"It's hard! This sword is heavier than I am!"_

_You laughed comically and gently gripped Dagr's wrists. "This will help you build strength. You will grow into the sword, and learning how to handle it now will only make it easier in the future. Now then.." You grabbed his smaller hands in yours and wrapped them around the handle of the sword._

_"A word of advice. When you don't get enough oxygen in your body while swinging, you exhaust yourself much faster. Swing, take a few deep breaths and swing again. Rinse and repeat. Okay?" You smiled softly at your little brother. He looked up at you and nodded._

_"Okay...Hey sis?" He grunted while trying to lift up the sword._

_"Mm?"_

_"Do you think I'll ever be as strong as dad?"_

_"Absolutely not." At this, Dagr's face fell completely. You patted his head and crouched to his level._

_"I think you'll be even stronger." His eyes once again regained the light that always made them shine. You were proud, and there was absolutely no doubt in your mind that this little boy will grow to be a fine man and warrior. He was always so cautious around others but so unheeding when in your presence. You felt honored. The main reason you cared so much for your little brother is because you promised yourself that he would grow up learning what you wish you did when you were younger. Mistakes were made, and blood was shed. This was not the life you wanted for him. You wanted him to live a normal life, without fear of death or intervention of gods in his everyday life. To do this, you had to isolate yourself, and him. Protecting him from severe harm, but not sheltering him to the point where he knew nothing of the world._

_Dagr continued to swing, and pierce the targets made of hay and linen sacks continuously until you called for a break. When he hit the age of ten years old, Dagr would hit every single target perfectly in either the chest or head. As you walked out of your humble little dwelling you held your wrists behind your back, circling Dagr as he continued his solo training._

_"You're much better, little munchkin."_

_"Sis.." He huffed out quickly, trying to catch his breath. "I told you not to call me that, I'm a man!"_

_"Of course, my apologies." You grinned. "you're much better, big munchkin." You corrected yourself._

_Dagr tossed his sword to the side in frustration and puffed his cheeks out in a pout while looking at you. After a few seconds of silence and a stare-off, the two of you laughed._

* * *

" **Atreus**!"

"I'm-" The boy grunted. "fine..!" 

"If you are _fine_ then start walking _home_."

Atreus angrily pulled his leg out from between the space of the tree's roots after a few unsuccessful tries. "It's only one leg-" He rubbed his left knee vigorously as if it would make the dull pain go away. "It shouldn't be too bad." Kratos offered his hand out to the boy, only for Atreus to turn away and hoist himself up on his feet with the assistance of the tree's trunk. Kratos let out a small 'Hmph'. Crossing his arms across his chest he watched his son begin to return to the trail they were on. Kratos did not move his body, nor move his head to watch Atreus as he walked away, for only shortly after did Atreus take a wrong step and pummel down a trench hidden beneath a thin layer of snow. His immediate reaction was to protect the already injured leg, leaving his right to absorb all the impact from the fall. All was silent until an echoing scream of frustration came out the trench. Kratos closed his eyes and sighed through his nose before putting his arms down and walking towards the area Atreus had fallen into.

"It is not like you to be so clumsy, boy."

"I don't know what's wrong with me." His voice had a tinge of a disappointed tone to it.

"Perhaps you just need rest. We've been traveling for a while now. Come."

Atreus gripped the edge of the trench and with a gripe of pain, pulled himself out. Kratos grabbed his forearm and lifted the boy to his feet. After taking a few moments to compose himself, Atreus began walking with his father. His slight limp did not go unnoticed by the spartan. 

"Are you sure you're feeling well?"

"I'm fine father...thank you." 

This could not be further from the truth. Waves of shock seemed to travel up his ankles to the tops of his thighs and frankly, It burned. But Atreus was determined to push through it. A measly attempt to impress his father once more.

**You're not going to get anywhere in life by lying about your pain.**

The pair immediately whipped around towards the source of the voice, back to back, Atreus drew his bow and Kratos, his blades. The familiar noise of chains clinked loudly and the sound of the string of a bow being drawn echoed off the trees. 

"Where are you!" Atreus yelled at the absent clearing in front of him. 

**You don't remember me?**

You spoke from in between the two. Atreus yelled suddenly and Kratos opened his hand, moving faster than you could think. His palm froze as it was located right in front of your throat. The heat that radiated off of it was incredible. You smiled and made eye contact with the much larger man, fear was not present in your eyes. In fact, you were quite amused.

"That was a bit of a tight squeeze. I've never seen a father and son relationship where the two were so close."

"Who are you?" Kratos demanded, still not placing his hands on you.

"It's the lady I was telling you about!" Atreus interrupted.

You stared at Kratos for only a little while longer, squinting your eyes slightly before turning to the boy and crouching to his height simply out of habit. Kratos lowered his hand and clenched his fist, inhaling deeply and exhaling all the same while he watched you.

"Indeed. I'm sorry for disappearing like that all of a sudden. Your father scared me!" You bemused.

"Yeah, he is pretty intimidating to strangers." Atreus responded casually with a small laugh.

"Boy." Kratos glared at his son.

 _"_ What? I'm just saying."

You turned your head without leaving Atreus's side to regard the large stranger. 

"Nice to meet you." You told him your name and stood, stretching out your hand. Kratos stared at you unamused and made no attempt to greet you in return.

"Huh. Strong and silent type? It's been a while since I've seen someone like you. The men nowadays are getting awfully cocky and talkative."

"What are you doing here?" He quipped.

Oh my. **_What_ _a_** **_voice_**. It was warm. and _stern_. and _sexy_.

"Straight to the point too...I like it. Unfortunately, however, that is the question I should be asking _you_. You're near my home and the village is not far from the area. I haven't seen you the entire time I've lived in this area so you two are clearly not from around here." And it was true. the two were foreigners amongst this land. "So where exactly are you two from?"

"We're from-"

"None of your concern" Kratos disrupted. ' _Fair enough'_ you thought. Atreus was not having it.

"Where'd you come from? You appeared out of nowhere!" He asked.

"Magic." You wiggled your fingers in front of your face with a smile and Atreus laughed.

"What kind of magic?"

"Now _that_ -" You crouched once more. "It is a secret you'll find out later _if_ you get to know me that is." Kratos walked past you and placed his hand on Atreus's back and moved him away from you. "We take our leave now, boy."

"But father-"

"We cannot trust her. Remember what happened with you know who." Kratos whispered harshly.

"But her weapon was made by the dwarves! I saw their symbol on the handle-" Kratos gave him a gentle push. "That is none of our business."

" ** _What happened with Freya has no connection to me. It isn't fair to compare every female with magical abilities you come across, to her._** "

Kratos immediately turned his head towards you, eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "What do you know of our encounters with her?" He questioned

"She was a good friend of mine and came to me for mourning after what you two did to Baldur. I comforted her in times of need. But personally? I was rather pleased to find out the bastard got what he deserved. I feel for Freya. I do. But Baldur was a bad man. I had a feeling you two were the ones that ended his life. This tattoo you bare..." You placed a finger on Kratos's chest where the thick red stripe was located. He looked down at the accused finger. "Is not that of a normal man.."

Kratos snarled ever so slightly and thrusted his body away from your touch. "You know nothing about me."

"You'd be surprised about what I know."

Atreus giggled. "You sound like Mimir when you say that."

"Oh, you know Mimir?" You widened your eyes slightly in false astonishment and turned your attention to the boy who looked much tinier standing next to his dad.

"Yeah! Father was the one who chopped his head off and...well, I guess 'Saved' him from Odin."

"Indeed he was, I used to visit Mimir up there just to keep him company. I'm sure he told you two what sufferings he had to endure while stuck in that tree. After all, you two have spent quite a bit of time with him."

"Our past journeys are none of your concern. Let us be-"

"The main reason I stopped you two is because your son is hurt and I can help."

" **We've been through this before, woman.** "

" _I have a name_ , you know? And I already told you once already that I am _not_ Freya. Though we both can heal and cast powerful spells, we practice different types of magic." Your facial expression switched from one of amusement to sobriety. You held your shoulders high with confidence and furrowed your eyebrows at the larger man. It's been a while since you had interacted with anyone for the past year apart from the village folk at the bazaar, and although it might be foolish to approach these two knowing the things they've done, most of your concern lied for the boy. He reminded you so much of Dagr that it was impossible to not intervene. Perhaps it was absurd to indulge on such a whim, but from what it seems, the brutish looking man before you will most likely force the boy to deal with his issues on his own once they return from which they came.

"Oh...That's very nice of you but really, im okay!" Atreus walked in a circle as if to prove his point. "See? I can make it."

You shook your head and sighed softly. _Just like Dagr. Never wanting to admit when he needs- no, wants assistance._

"Do your ankles sting?"

Kratos looked towards Atreus intently.

"W-well...Yes but-"

"Your thighs, they burn? It feels like every step you take makes shocks of pain travel up your legs?"

"How do you know that? All I did was fall in a trench..." Atreus scratched the back of his head, bewildered. You spoke nothing, and instead gave him a small smile and wiggled your fingers in front of your face once again. Atreus looked to his father for approval. Kratos only looked at him, and then turned his gaze to you. He held it for a few seconds before giving a soft grunt. You took that as a ' _Fine, but im not happy about this._ ' You clasped your hands together and looked between the two excitedly. 

"Good! Now follow me." 

Kratos and Atreus looked at each other for a moment before following you back towards the path they were attempting to leave from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact:  
> I was looking for God of War fanfictions and when literally less than 10 came up I decided to write this story because KRATOS DESERVES HEAVY RECOGNITION. And love. Big man. A big angry man. Big angry, very sexy man.
> 
> Happy friyay! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧


	3. Testing the Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kratos turns out to be more of a spectacle than you imagined. Atreus continues to swoon over you, and you remain as bullheaded as possible simply out of spite, and out of growing interest for the awfully intense (>‘o’)> ~spartan~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As this story develops, I plan on actually making some chapters interactive for you guys! by that I mean, there will be certain times where you may all vote for a specific action or event to take place during a cliffhanger, or if you guys want to suggest something that you want to happen, and if i like the idea, i'll impliment it in the story!

"This is a bizarre pathway." Kratos mentioned. The trail itself seemed normal, Covered thinly in sleet while the rest of the woods was blanketed in snow. However, the only thing that seemed to throw Kratos off guard is the fact that there were Wolves, Trolls, and guardians scattered everywhere alongside the pathway, and not a single one paid any of you mind. Atreus's legs (As predicted by none other than yourself) weakened as the three of you hiked through the woods, eventually giving out and exhausting Atreus to the point where there was no other method of transport except being carried by his father. You refused to air the fact that you were slightly jealous. 

_How ridiculous, he is a child being carried by his father. There is nothing wrong with that._ You peeked from the corner of your eye and just barely protruding past your point of view were Kratos's arms. Large, meaty, and toned for the _gods_. (No pun intended). Your palms began to sweat.

"I am a bizarre person, old man. There are so many places to find one's residence. In the middle of the woods, isolated. Atop a mountain. Inside a mountain, even. But throughout my whole life, not one person suspected that I lived in between the mountains." Kratos for one thought this was clever, although he'd never admit it. He amused himself at the fact that you thought he didn't see you peeking at him.

"That is not what I was referencing to. These beings are not attacking us." 

"That is because they cannot see us." You quickly countered. The spartan did no more to question you, seemingly content with the vague answer you had given him.

"So what happened if there's a landslide? or the mountains all of a sudden collapse? What if a rock falls and crushes your home?" Atreus asked. It was quite the sight, seeing such a little warrior with his arms around his father's neck whilst he was perched upon a single arm. You looked back momentarily to respond.

"You ask many questions." You tried your best to state this in a kind manner, hoping he wouldn't take it the wrong way.

"Im sorry..." The boy looked down with shame.

"Don't apologize. I think it's a good thing." Atreus grinned. "You seek to expand your knowledge on many things it may seem. Just make sure you're asking the right questions at the right times. And do not overwhelm yourself with new information, lest you'd like to forget any previous lessons you've learned. Understand?" 

"I understand." 

You turned your attention back to the path before you. "Now then. In case any of those disasters happen, I can assure you my home will not be crushed. There's a barrier, a shield, if you will, surrounding my residence as if it were a dome. This will be very obvious because despite being located in the snow between the mountains, anything inside this 'Shield' of mine will not be covered in snow. The temperature is regulated."

"Wow, really?! That's so cool! How do you do that?!"

"It's actually a spell I learned recently, last yule. I can't reveal all my secrets, but I promise that if you stick around for a little while, I might teach you a few things. I heard from some that you're very clever."

"Only sometimes." Kratos butted in. 

"Father, really?" Atreus's cheeks burned with embarrassment and you laughed loudly. 

* * *

About half of an hour had passed and finally, you and your little posse had begun to walk through a trail that led directly between two mountains. You stopped Kratos with an outstretched hand behind you and straightened out your staff. You tipped the blade to face in front of you and whisked it across the air quickly. Nothing happened. You looked at Kratos and Atreus while approaching them. 

"We're here."

"But nothing changed" the smaller god pointed out. 

"Don't blink. you'll miss it."

The pair looked at you confused. Well...Atreus did. Kratos seemed to judge you rather than question you. You only sighed and placed your hand in front of them. you snapped loudly and caused them to blink. Atreus fluttered his eyes open and yelled out in astonishment. The scenery of a mountain pass turned into one of a prairie landscape with many flowers and willow trees as tall as giants, birthing fruits that glowed an ombre yellowish-orange. A pathway that seemed to be made of rocks smoothed by rivers led to a sizeable little cabin. You caught a glimpse of Kratos lifting his eyebrow while analyzing the area.

 _Oh my. What an honor to impress someone as stoic as he._ You thought proudly. Definitely an ego boost for the ages.

"I'm sure you can tell where home is."

"Clearly." A deep voice responded from behind. You hoped that he didn't see the shiver that came down your spine.

"I already feel better just being out of those harsh winds! It's nice and temperate in here. How long will we be staying?"

"Not long." Kratos responded almost immediately.

"It depends on how severe your injuries are, little otter. You didn't suffer a fall from a great height so you should be well soon enough and hopefully, I can save your grumpy father here some trouble."

Kratos responded with an annoyed groan to which you clicked your tongue twice at. A wave of your hand and the large dark wooden doors etched with runes opened. It was decorated rather cozily. Kratos was definitely not expecting the home to be so organized, especially for a witch. Everything seemed to have a place that suited the item perfectly. It was clean and, well...For once he's inside a home that seems as if it would be a comfort to live in, rather than being in a home that is being used very clearly for survival purposes alone. The vines that stretched infinitely along the walls and up towards the ceiling harbored different flora. Presumably used for your alchemy. An interesting observation given he'd never seen something of the sort before.

"You called me an otter. It's strange. Why would you compare me to such an animal?"

"Because otters are extremely curious fauna. They're family-oriented and very adorable. You're a curious boy. and you seem to love your father. Correct?" Atreus nodded happily in response and did a half shrug. Although he wouldn't show it, you felt as if Kratos seemed to thoroughly enjoy his sons' answer.

"So...you think im adorable?"

"Should I think otherwise?"

"Well...I appreciate your compliment but it just seems...I don't know. I'm a warrior. Warriors are definitely not adorable."

You patted the bench near the fireplace and Kratos quickly took the hint, sitting Atreus down on it.

"Well perhaps not. Warriors are highly respected. But I only deem someone a warrior when they are in combat and show endless bravery and sacrifice. And right now you most definitely are not. Nor are you suited to be in combat for the time being either." You walked across the room towards a closet. Sifting through the rubbish of Runes and simple medical materials you pulled out some wraps that were colored an odd shade of black.

"So while you are passive, I think it's fair to say you're adorable. Is that okay with you?"

"You have a point...But I still don't like being called that..." Atreus tried his best to hide the small blush on his cheeks by refusing to look at you, but you knew better. You took pride in being able to rile people up, for all the right reasons of course.

"Well, that's just too bad." You mused while walking towards him. Kratos took it upon himself to wander close to nearby shelving units, being the most attentive to a row of jars containing liquids that seemed to swirl with metallic-looking elixirs. It was somewhat hypnotizing.

Atreus was attentive when watching you work. Wrapping the length of the black cloth around his calves, you gripped them softly. He hissed in pain which quickly caught his father's attention. Kratos bounded over to the two of you and his hardened gaze seemed to burn the back of your skull. You chanted quietly. The wrappings seemed to slowly dissolve to dust. "Any better?"

Atreus slowly got up and stomped on the floor. He began jumping and looked down at you with a smile while you were still on one knee. 

"I don't even feel the pain!"

"Yes...but, at ease. There are patches on either side of your calves that only make it so your pain is not registered by your body. You are still injured. You may walk normally but try your best to avoid running and jumping, _especially_ from tall heights. There will be markings on the outside of your calves. They will slowly dissolve off your skin as your injury heals, so when they're gone, you know for sure that you're completely good to go. Now then. If you'd like, you can play with my cat. Shes just outside that door, if you don't see her immediately, check the abandoned barn! she sunbathes constantly in there."

"Yes ma'am! but...why are you sending me out?"

"I must speak to your father privately. Don't worry, he'll still be here when you return."

Atreus scoffed. "I know _that_. He's my _dad_." He then proceeded to follow your directions, leaving through the back entrance.

"Hm. Cocky."

The wooden door swung shut slowly and you looked towards Kratos when it shut completely. The friendly demeanor you upheld with Atreus was now gone and your expression turned solemn once more.

"Kratos."

He responded by stating your name as well, copying your tone.

"I know the bulk of your journey has been completed. You want to start raising Atreus like you initially should have and-"

" **You know nothing of my wishes and it would serve you well to stop assuming**."

"Will you just _listen_." You stared at him with your hands balled up at your sides. He looked down at you with impatience and simply crossed his arms once more, leaning back against the half wall behind him.

"Thank you. I don't know you two personally, obviously. I am not here to lecture you or teach you how to live your life, but I _have_ been watching. I've been talking to the dwarves. Brok and Sindri, I believe. I'm here to ask you for a favor."

This came as no surprise to Kratos. Another person asking for assistance when they are unable to complete their tasks themselves. 

"That is why you helped Atreus, no?"

"Of course not. I helped because he reminds me of someone I used to know..." Something grim replaced the glint in your eyes, and if Kratos were not standing completely still and paying especially close attention to your facial features, he would have missed it. "You may not believe I helped you out of the goodness of my heart but if I had simply gone up to you and asked for assistance, you most likely would have just ignored me."

"Correct."

You rolled your eyes and sighed out of frustration. "But you understand my reasonings, yes?"

Kratos suddenly found it odd that you'd send Atreus out of the room simply due to a request. He assumed it had to do with the fact that you'd prefer more privacy on the issue, but he quickly began to have his doubts. You knew Atreus had a soft spot. He was a very good boy, so in an attempt to prove to Kratos your sincerity, you got rid of the only influencer in the room that would challenge his primary thinking.

"Naturally. What exactly do you request, woman?"

"I..." You looked down at the gray marble floor beneath your feet as you paused. The man in front of you heaved impatiently. You quickly took a deep breath and opened the palm of your right hand to the god before you. It immediately began to glow a deep, magma red. 

"I need you to help lift the curse my younger brother placed upon me."


	4. Huh. The water isn't as cold as I thought.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things might spice up just a little in this chapter. But only subtly. Do not worry, we'll get there in time! More is revealed about your little brother's curse, and Kratos becomes bolder.

Kratos sighed and turned away, walking towards the back door Atreus had left from without sparing you a glance. You quickly followed suit hoping to get him to change his mind. 

"Please, wait-"

He flared his nostrils as he slammed the door open. "This is a family matter you must attend to yourself. Atreus and I have more pressing matters to deal with, and we will not distract ourselves with a witch's affairs-"

"My brother is dead!" You yelled at him. He paused. "He's dead..." You repeated. "He had only just turned Eleven when I found him unmoving in the middle of the woods, discarded like trash." Tears threatened to fall from your eyes but you refused to let him see you in such a state, especially during your first genuine encounter. Atreus came out the shed, followed by a large panther that seemed ghostly given how crystalline it was. He stalked over to his father with a smile, letting it fall when he saw your expression. 

"Father..? what happened?"

"Nothing that concerns us. We will be taking our leave now."

"But she looks like she's gonna cry!" Kratos quickly turned his head to face you. You refused to make eye contact and instead leaned to pat Atreus's head. You grinned at him, despite the expression of hurt evident on your face. 

"Do not worry about me, little otter. I promise you I'll be okay. I'm only upset because I was reminded of someone I loved, whom I have lost."

"I know how that feels. My mother died a few years ago, and it made me sad too." Bless his heart. Your hand gently rubbed his head and he seemed to lean into your gentle touch. This boy was capable of much empathy, something you rarely see in the current climate. Kratos clenched his fists while you resumed an upright position. Your body turned to face him and you clasped your wrists behind your back. This was your signature posture. You looked up at the amber eyes that looked as if they were ready to burn into your gaze and take a hold of your mind. You smiled with tears in your eyes, still refusing to let a single drop fall. Kratos seemed languid, but something about the way you smiled while being in clear pain made his chest feel tight. The only other person he's ever seen with a smile as kind as yours was Atreus. No, not his son. Instead, it reminded him of his battle companion who despite all dangers, risks, and instabilities, still smiled through it all, while remaining as one of the best men on the battlefield at the same time. 

"You...You two may go. Towards the biggest willow tree, you two should go. There will be a large hole in the trunk. Stick your hand in it and pull on the yellow gem inside. It should open a door-"

"We will help you, witch." Kratos said all of a sudden, his back turned to you. Atreus looked questioningly up at his instructor. 

"Help with what?"

You stared at the back of his neck in shock. _What could have possibly changed his mind so quickly? Atreus? No...So then, what was it?_ You didn't decide to dwell on it much longer, assuming that Kratos would change his mind back if you didn't accept the help.

"Y-yes...Thank you, Kratos." You turned your attention to Atreus and outstretched the hand you previously showed his father.

"What happened to you?"

"My little brother placed a curse on me before he-..." You paused once more, feeling the familiar pang of pain in your chest. The boy looked up at you and nodded as if understanding. You quickly knew that you no longer had to speak on the matter in order for him to piece together what would come next. You quickly smiled at him.

"He was your age you know?"

"Really?"

"mhm. I think you two would have gotten along so well. You remind me so much of him. You're a little older but he was just your height."

"She means to call you small, for your age." Kratos looked down at both of you with an arched brow. The pair of you returned his gaze before looking back at each other. You whispered not so quietly.

"I think your dad just tried to tell a _joke_."

"I think so too.."

"Do you think a nightmare possessed him?"

Kratos huffed disapprovingly and shook his head in irritation.

"Dunno..."

Silence ensued and the two of you laughed. Somewhere in the depths of your mind, you felt as if you were re-living a moment you previously had with Dagr. You decided not to mention to any of them that you saw Kratos crack a second of a smile at the scene. Your peals of laughter died gradually as you looked over at the man who could easily be mistaken for a giant. His eyes no longer held the same hardness they did when you first met. Now, they only seem...forbidding.

 _A small improvement, but a most welcome one_ , You thought.

"How do we go about breaking this curse?" Kratos interrupted the comfortable silence.

"As straightforward as ever..." You declared. "But once again, not complaining." You quickly urged the two back inside your cabin. "Bodmin~" You cooed towards the translucent panther who was _so_ silent that the Father and Son duo completely forgot about its presence. The large cat got up from it's laid position, stretching its front paws forward and lifting its behind. She slowly lumbered inside the cabin.

"Its name is Bodmin? I've never heard of that name before." Commented Atreus.

"She is the guardian of the environment surrounding my home. She also helps regulate the ecosystem by devouring the rapidly reproducing rabbits around here. They have a bad habit of eating my nocturn fruits so they're more pests than they are cute. They're those black ones on the bush over there-" You pointed out the large glass pane window towards a small yellow bush that bared the small, plum-like produce. "I think the rabbits eat them not cause they're the greatest tasting fruit, but because it gives them enhanced night vision. Probably to escape prey easier. Now, back to what your father said." You walked and gently placed a hand on Kratos's bicep, looking up at him with a pressing look in your eyes. His gaze seemed to burn you in all the right ways. He visibly tensed at your touch and you noticed. This did not make you pull your hand away.

"We have to party up to do this. I can assure you that not even you two will be able to do this alone. My seiðr will be necessary at some points during our journey. We will be traveling inside the mountain and a majority of this quest of ours will be more about investigating rather than acquiring what we need to cure me of this curse. _First_ , we need to find out what cursed me, how, and most importantly of all, _why_ my little brother did this to me."

"What does the curse do?" Inquired Kratos. 

You hesitated to answer, but it would serve nothing to keep it a secret, especially since they are taking the time to aid you on this mission.

"Well...It doesn't cause me physical pain. It's more psychologically torturing, which, in my opinion, is much worse." Kratos let out a soft sigh that seemed to deflate his chest. Was he trying to be empathetic? Was he relating to you in some way? He seemed vulnerable, if only for a sliver of a moment. It could have been easily imagined based on wishful thinking, but for the sake of your emotions, you told yourself that the little moment was real. That alone seemed to oddly calm your agitated spirit. What you said caused Atreus to look up at you with strife as if trying to figure out what you were going to say next. You opened your mouth to continue before the small boy stopped you.

"Do you see him from time to time? Like a memory was replaying right in front of you?" It was a guess on Atreus's part, but a damn good one.

You stared at him in awe. 

"Well...Yes. But they aren't memories. What I see are scenarios of him being tortured...yelled at by people I don't know, I feel like whatever this... _thing_ is, isn't showing me my memories with him. It's showing me _his_ memories. Or maybe it's just conjuring scenarios that know will make me feel terrible. Every time it happens, I feel so much guilt...As if what was happening to him could've been stopped if only I was there-" You began to tear up once more.

"But what hurts me most is the fact that this curse of mine shows me the pain Dagr went through, but never what the cause of his sudden death was. He was a good boy...I just don't understan-" Kratos placed a large hand on your shoulder to your astonishment. What was he doing? Was he capable of magic that you didn't know about? Why is it that when he touches you, your body shuts down and seems to relax. Your muscles that were tensed melted into his touch. 

"This is no time for speculation or interpretation. Tell us where we must go so we may rid you of whatever is tormenting you as soon as possible." You could feel his thumb gently stroke the ball of your shoulder. A shudder ran down your spine. 

"Y-yes...Well, i-" You coughed into your hand and cleared your throat, your voice suddenly finding itself to come out slightly raspy. _He thoroughly enjoyed that._

 _"Right._ As I was trying to say, we'll be going through Ovni's mountain, which is the one to the left of my home. I've traveled thoroughly through that mountain enough to know every entrance and exit like the back of my hand so we needn't worry about navigation. We might run into some trouble which unfortunately is unavoidable but it isn't anything we won't be able to handle. Especially you." You looked towards Kratos, and your gaze faltered for a second as if it was no longer possible to look at him earnestly. He hummed in agreement, lowering his hand by letting slide down your back, stopping at the middle and placing it down against his side. Your heart pounded a little faster, but you refused to let him see the effect he had on you, afraid that he'd no longer take you seriously.

"The last I knew of Dagr's whereabouts was in that mountain. He had told me that he was going to talk to Sindri about his sword and some runes, which I now know was never the case. If there's any place that will hold clues on where to look for the answers about this curse of mine, it will most likely be there." Kratos turned and began walking towards the front door.

"Let us not waste any time then."


	5. The Mountain Has Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the party begins their journey, Reader and Atreus do a little more bonding. Kratos starts /feeling/, and you begin doubting if you have the will to go on this expedition. I think it's time to give some of the spotlight to our favorite spartan during this chapter. Some angst will be seen, but not to worry, no tears will be shed today (For now (ι´Д｀)ﾉ)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanna know what the reader (Yes, you <3) is wearing? Take a look!
> 
> https://www.pinterest.com/pin/498773727476498897/

Atreus gently rubbed the marking on one of his calves. It still looked freshly imprinted, which only meant that he was far from recovered. How discouraging!

"Well, this isn't good..." You scratched the back of your head with a hand on your hip as you stared at the passageway blocked by a hefty pile of rocks that seemed to have fallen from above. "This is the only entrance to the main mine, if we don't find an alternative route or some way to clear this, I'm afraid we're stuck for the time being."

Kratos stared at your hand that fixed itself upon your hip. He wondered what kind of body lied underneath your layered clothing. Atreus spoke justly when he said you were pretty. Across all nine realms has he never met a woman with your features. You were Midgardian for sure (Or so he believes), but you were more...effeminate than most women he had encountered that weren't, of course, concubines or harlots. He thought heedlessly, and a feeling akin to guilt welled up inside of him. He quickly turned his head and banished the sinful thoughts from his head, distracting himself by trying to search around the area for anything that would help clear the passageway. He hummed in response to your distress.

Atreus continued to poke at the mark as if it would do something. "So how long will this be here?" He asked.

"Hm? Oh, well, it shouldn't be longer than a week." You quickly responded. His face screamed that of relief and you laughed under your words. "What, did you think it would be longer?"

"I thought it would take a month or something.." He spoke while lifting himself from the rock he sat on, pushing down his pant leg to cover up the mark once more. You snickered at his exaggeration and went over to pat his head. 

"It's only a sprain. If anything, the longest it will take is two weeks. If this mark doesn't go away by then, I promise I'll fix whatever is hurting you, okay?" You left your hand on his head and he placed his smaller one atop yours with a smile. To the spartan, it seemed so odd for Atreus to act so comfortable around you as if he knew you for years despite the fact that the pair of you had only crossed paths twice. He was a kind boy, yes. But this was a different scene from when he first met Freya or the dwarves. He was not just being friendly, he was being intimate. As annoying as it was to constantly try to repeat 'close your heart to others', Kratos couldn't bear to repeat it once more when it came to you. It would contradict his teachings. Why? Because _you_ were opening your heart up to _him_. He thought it foolish, on your part, to trust strangers so easily, even more so compared to Atreus, but it was impossible to deny that he found that charming about you for some reason. It bewildered him. Kratos knew for certain, had it been anyone else, it would have frustrated him to no end, but you... _you_ , something about your energy was refreshing. _Invigorating_. It had been a long while since he felt such emotions and thoughts. but one thing is for sure, not once in his lifetime had he felt so... _Impulsive._

"Okay." Atreus responded fondly, snapping Kratos out of his thoughts. You could hear Kratos's soft sigh in the background, and for once, it wasn't one of annoyance, but one of... _relief._ It confused you. Why would he feel relieved at the sight of you and Atreus bonding? You knew his mother had passed a while ago, and you began to speculate if perhaps it was just the fact that Atreus had another person to look up to for once, but something inside you told you that maybe, just maybe, Kratos was relieved that for once, he was not the main source of alimentation for his son. 

_Poor guy._ _He's spent the last few years on his own. It can't be easy raising a child as a single father, even if you're perfectly capable of protecting and providing for them._

Needlessly to say, Kratos and yourself perplexed each other to no end.

Eventually, after some investigation, Atreus had found a passageway just small enough for him to fit through to get to the other side. His father commanded him to go through to search for something on the other side that could help, leading to him find out that the main reason your party could not get through, was the sap of the world tree binding the boulders together on the other side. A crystal and a shot from his arrow later, the wall exploded to pebbles. Kratos nodded at Atreus, followed by a ' _Good job, boy._ ' Atreus smiled.

"Thank you, father."

* * *

"I grow restless." You stated all too suddenly. The doublet turned to face your flat expression given that you were now walking behind them. You didn't seem tired, in fact, you seemed more irate than anything. Atreus looked slightly worried and turned to his father for advice. Kratos simply stared and turned back to face the direction he was walking. 

"We shall rest once we find somewhere more suitable."

You simply shrugged in acceptance. _Fair enough_. Atreus decided to voice his concern for you.

"Father-"

" **Silence**. I know what you are thinking and the answer is **no**. She is not weak. I'm sure she can make it another hour or so."

Atreus turned around and quietly mouthed an ' _I'm sorry_ ' to you. You gave him a tender smile and shook your head, hoping he'd understand that he didn't need to apologize. You refused to tell him that the only reason his body isn't registering the pain, and your symbol still marks his skin is because you're constantly outputting magic in order to slowly heal his wounds he was but a child, and if you were to quickly mend all the issues at once, it would hurt like hel for the kid.

Kratos was right when he said you were no weakling. You were very small in comparison to him, if only, just a few inches taller than Atreus, but the boy knew you were skilled in combat. After seeing you practice in your little training field amongst the woods, he honestly became excited to see you in actual combat. Your movements were swift, graceful. An odd description for someone who fights with a large, blunt weapon, but your fighting style is your own. Your mobility might be hasty and nimble, but when you land a hit whether it be with your spear or fists, you hit _hard_. Strength and speed are often two concepts that are visualized as ' either/or', but you harnessed the power of both. You were lucky enough to possess such power that was bestowed unto you by your mother. Suddenly thinking of your mom, you clenched your fists to the point where your fingertips and knuckles began to turn white.

_Calm yourself, If you enrage yourself too much, you might end up revealing yourself to the boys and that is absolutely the last thing you want right now!_

Your eyebrows furrowed in anger and your footsteps began to carry more weight to them. Abruptly, your eyes flashed a fiery shade of red. Your pep talk did nothing to soothe your resentful spirit. You immediately began to think of the cause of your mother's untimely death.

_Odin..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a bit of a shorter chapter I'm afraid, but nonetheless I hope you all enjoyed it! Finals week is here for us college students and ya girl isn't doing so hot ┐(‘～`；)┌.


	6. A Taste of Euphoria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Readers' little brother isn't as innocent as she believed him to be, Kratos and reader share an intimate moment, and Atreus begins to act like a little brat after making an embarrassing mistake. Feels will also be present. Beware of the feels (⊙︿⊙✿)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost Friday boys, which means a new chapter, and a weekend full of much-needed sleep (つд｀).

_Your eyebrows furrowed in anger and your footsteps began to carry more weight to them. Abruptly, your eyes flashed a fiery shade of red. Your pep talk did nothing to soothe your resentful spirit. You immediately began to think of the cause of your mother's untimely death._

_Odin..._

* * *

_Overanalyzation is what this is. Not one comment or question was asked about my parents and here I am, coming apart. When had I become so sensitive? It's been years, so why does it feel as if it was only yesterday that I lost her?_

You knew exactly the reason why. You stared at a certain someones back. It was semi-bare, putting on display the movement of his muscles. How they tense up and bulge back out. _This was Attractive indeed_ , but it also reminded you of this man's strength. He despised gods, and this was known from all over the nine realms, especially after his battles with Magni and Modi. You despised gods just as deeply, if not, even more than he did if that was possible. He would never forgive you if he found out you were the offspring of one. Perhaps he could understand, just maybe, if he knew who your mother was, but you highly doubted it, and it certainly was not an option to take a risk this early in your relationship. Freya had told you everything that happened between them from beginning to end and placed extra emphasis on the fact that he did not take kindly to her when finding out who she really was.

_But that was different. She didn't tell him on purpose, and he had said she lied to him. Maybe if I tell him now, it would be better-_

_"We're here, mom!"_

You immediately snapped out of your thoughts and looked towards Atreus. You finally paid attention to your surroundings and realized that you were at the camp of the miners that worked here decades ago. Some tents were disassembled, some just straight-up destroyed, and others that were in alright condition, but didn't exactly speak _comfort_ to you, except of course the large hearth in the center. This was the last thing on your mind, however. Had Atreus just called you his **mother**? you stared at the boy and immediately looked towards at Kratos in horror. He seemed just as shocked, staring at you with...was that _fear_?

You witnessed the large man slowly walking towards his son who had his back turned to the both of you. Atreus was scavenging through a pile of scrolls hoping to find one that was in good enough condition to read.

" **Atreus**." Kratos placed a hand on the small boys back.

The boy immediately looked back at his father and glanced rapidly between the two of you.

"What?" He questioned innocently.

Atreus turned and stared at your petrified gaze and suddenly timid posture. Your hands were clasped together, resting on your collarbones. Suddenly realizing his mistake, he instantly flushed and vigorously apologized to the both of you, Kratos did not seem upset. Instead, his expression was that of remorse. You didn't know what to do. How does one go about a situation like this? Out of respect for his deceased mother, you said nothing, scared that you may accidentally insult her, or even worse, either Kratos or Atreus. While he continued to babble on about how he didn't intend to call you his mother, Kratos gently shook him and looked down on him with a stern but lenient gaze.

"Boy, It is fine. You did not mean to call her that, and I'm sure she took no offense."

"But father-"

"It is _**okay**_ , Atreus."

You softened your gaze at the scene that played out in front of you. 

"We will rest here, I will set up what I can-" You suddenly walked past him, brushing your shoulder with his arm. You stood before the large camp in front of you and raised both hands slowly. Your skin, clear of any markings began to glow light blue, lines running up your forearms up to your neck, and (although it could not be seen by the two) down your body, towards your ankles. The Rubble cleared, and all the tents that were ruined have seemed to rebuild themselves piece by piece. It seemed impossible before, but these tents stood tall, almost hut-like as if they were miniature homes. You began to worry if Kratos could even fit with Atreus in one of these. Well, there was that really big one in the back. Unlike the rest of the beige-colored tents, The much larger, wider tent located at the back with its own little bed of coals was colored a dark chestnut, Lined with gold at the metal stakes that seemed to be plunged miles down into the basalt of the mountain. _How decadent._

Atreus stared in awe, wanting to speak to you but still embarrassed about his most recent accident. Kratos seemed as adamant as ever to uphold the idea that he did not care. 

You placed both hands on your hips and smiled at your own work. 

"This place cleans up well. Surprising given the fact we're in a mine." You clasped your wrist behind your back and turned to face Kratos who held open a tent flap for Atreus who seemed to walk in, still expressing shame. You had a sudden urge to outreach your hand and stop him. You did not do it. instead, you replaced your somber expression with a small smile.

"Are you going to sleep with your son?" You asked Kratos. He did not turn to look at you and simply hummed in response while tightening the wrappings around his wrist.

 _Ouch._ Your smile faltered slightly.

"You and Atreus may take the largest tent back there you know? The two of you would sleep more comfortably."

"It matters very little to us. You may take it."

"But I don't want t-"

" **Then don't sleep in it**."

_Double ouch._

You said nothing more, and simply turned away quietly, walking towards the larger tent after telling yourself you refuse to argue with him. Your smile stayed, but once you turned, and your expression was out of the Spartans' view, it immediately fell. _Might as well take his advice_. The minute you placed down your travel bag and relieved yourself of the top layers of your clothing, you fell towards the futon near the corner of the tent, caring very little about the fact that you knocked over some wares in the process, and blacked out. 

* * *

You stirred slightly as you slowly regained consciousness. You were warm. So warm it made you uncomfortable. You hated the fact that you were sweating because your clothing had begun to stick to your back and breasts. Where was all this heat coming from? It seemed to be coming from one place on your back

"Are you awake?" Asked a gruff and baritone voice.

You reached behind you with your arm to try and locate the source of heat, only to find your much smaller hand on top of Kratos's.

_Ah. I'm lying on my stomach? I remember nothing but the feeling of falling-_

_"_ Atreus says that the pain has return-" You cut Kratos off by quickly bolting up from your position and looked around to find the boy. You spotted him on the other side of the tent, curled up and toying with a small knife that seemed to suit him all too well. You rubbed the sleep out of your eyes with balled up fists and stood up to walk over to him. You crouched and tried to look him in the eyes. He did not return your gaze. You gave him a small smile before rolling up both of the bottom hems of his pants up to his knees. You were relieved to find the mark still there, and although Atreus seemed uncomfortable even being near you, he outstretched his legs to you and you gladly sat cross-legged in front of him, taking a hold of his ankles and hovering the tips of your fingers over his calves. You could hear a faint sigh of relief from him as you felt your fingers go slightly numb.

"Thank you, uhm..?"

You repeated your name and he repeated it back.

"Right, thank you. I'm still sorry about earl-" You grabbed him from beneath his arms and pulled him to you, enveloping him in a hug to which he hesitantly returned. His face was burrowed against your shoulder and he met eyes with his father. Kratos stood and began walking towards the two of you before he froze, seeing a tear fall from Atreus's face.

_He couldn't have been that bad of a father, right? No, it can't be his parenting. Perhaps Atreus just missed having someone look after him tenderly as opposed to strictly._

You felt the tears wet your shoulder, but you said nothing. After feeling Atreus slowly relax in your arms, you let go, gently pulling him off of you.

"I'm sure you don't wanna keep hugging me, I'm all sweaty and I'm positive you'd be uncomfortable if I held you any longer" You mused. Atreus shook his head.

"I don't mind. I mean, I slept with _him."_ He pointed towards Kratos _. "_ If you think you're sweaty, you don't wanna know what it's like sleeping with father-"

**"Boy."**

You chuckled and lifted yourself on one knee to stand. 

"I don't know, I'd have to find out for myself to see if I'd be uncomfortable or not." Atreus simply looked at you with confusion as to why you'd even consider sleeping with his father when you suddenly heard a soft growl emit from behind you. You smirked and patted Atreus's head, purposely bending at the waist. 

"Well, I don't know why you'd do that and I'm not gonna ask any questions because I don't want weird answers-"

"Atreus, figure out how to get to the peak of this mountain. We are not far. I must talk to the witch alone."

Atreus furrowed his eyebrows and got up from where he sat, frustrated that his father interrupted him and, well...wanting to behave like a rascal in general. 

"Whatever.." He stormed out of the tent.

You watched him, baffled at the way he acted. You turned to face Kratos when all of a sudden he was _right there_. Looking down at you with those unforgettable eyes of his. Your face burned and you tried to swallow down the heat that was traveling much more rapidly through your body. It started to get a little too hot again. Was he going to say anything? No? Well then...

"You put me on my stomach while I slept. Why-"

"You asked me to."

"I did _no_ such thi-"

"Ask the boy. While you were busy sleeping we-"

"You know you have a _very **bad**_ habit of cutting people off while they speak but I want you to realize you are not the only one who can be fucking obnoxious. No wonder Atreus is annoyed."

As the back and forth had gone on, your voices raised in volume and all went quiet after you told the large man off.

 _Perhaps this was a bad idea,_ you thought to yourself as Kratos glared down at you as if he wanted to eradicate you where you stood. You internally shook slightly in fear, but you kept a hard face on and puffed out your chest with confidence. He glanced down to your breasts momentarily, almost as if on purpose. You looked down at your chest and crashing down came a reminder that a majority of your clothing was off, save for your thin shirt and pants. His eyes burned with something more than just indignation. It was an appetite for you. Absolute carnal desire. 

"Yes, it is bothersome, but at least I don't openly _disrespect_ someone. If that was the case you would have run away crying the first minute we had met."

"You are bold to assume a man would turn the faucet to my tears. Your natural intimidation is fruitless when it comes to influencing me. If you were to insult me as you would have liked to, I would take no offense to it. In fact, I'd be rather **amused**." He stepped closer and let out a deep exhale from his nose, your breasts that now seemed to perk up in attention almost brushed against his abdomen. Your neck began to hurt from craning up to look at him. You must have not looked in the least bit frightening to this man. His hands clenched at his sides and you shivered. A huff came from him that almost seemed entertained. The air may have been extremely tense, but your anger melted like ice above an open fire when he slid his hand around your waist and gently pressed the palm of his hand against your lower back. He was holding you. Your legs suddenly felt weak. You opened your mouth to speak until Kratos had beat you to it.

" _You were shivering_ , I assumed you were cold and based off how quickly you began to sweat when I touched you before, It is only fair to assume this might warm you." 

Under all that beard, you could tell there was a ghost of a smirk there.

"Is it working?" He spoke once more. _Oh my_. Did he lower his voice on purpose? His whisper seemed to make your heart (And other places) throb with desire. You gulped quietly and finally broke his gaze. He was acting based on impulse alone, this is what you were trying to convince yourself of, and in essence, you were correct. You were still rather young and you most definitely were not looking for a one-time thing. Okay, sure, you may not spend as much time as you should thinking about romance, but you knew what you wanted. He snapped his fingers in front of your face.

"H-huh? Oh! Yes- Um, thank you-" You stuttered, your voice much quieter than normal. You cleared your throat and grabbed his arm which your hand could barely wrap around, and moved it away from you. You could still feel his hand on your back as if he burned the imprint of it onto your skin. You quickly took two steps back. Your arousal was evident. From your reddened face to your legs that suddenly seemed to press together tightly, It was obvious, the effect that the spartan had on you. 

"You wanted to speak to me about something...Or, at least that is what you told your son. It would be good for both of us to focus on that now.."

" _Quite._ You had been asleep for some time, long enough for Atreus and I to do a little exploring on our own. We found a passageway that we assumed you knew nothing about for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, it seemed to be a place of secret meetings, and apart from the many letters and treasures located there, we found this-"

He pulled a ringlet, thick and heavy, and made of gold. It seemed like any other accessory, only this one had your symbol on it. A serpent, coiled around itself with its head jutted forward, Only this did not belong to you. It belonged to-

"Dagr..." You opened your palm while Kratos laid the jewelry down unto your hand. You gently stroked the chains with the tips of your fingers. 

"The letters...What did they say?" 

Kratos flared his nostrils and glared at you.

"It seems that your precious little brother was associated with the king and princes of Asgard." You froze and stared at Kratos with widened eyes. Your eyes glistened as they became wet with tears. You looked to the stone floor beneath you and let the hand that held Dagr's ringlet fall to your side. 

"That cannot be-"

"You tell me, woman." He chucked one of the scrolls towards you which you weakly caught, almost letting it slip out your hand as if it were the heaviest thing you've ever carried. You sniffled softly and slowly opened the scroll, reading its contents. Dagr wrote to Odin, inquiring him about what seemed to be... _ **bounty hunting**_. Did he want to work for Odin? After what happened to _mother_? After what that pompous, self-entitled god had _done_ to your family? Your face began to sweat from all the heat that built up out of anger. You threw the scroll to the side and you let your head hang downwards. You no longer mourned your brother's death. You wanted...Vengeance.

"I spent all my years after his death being psychologically tortured by his spirit and having to witness his misery, trying to piece together what I could to figure out what the source of his death was...And it is only now that I come to find his affiliation with the same god that brought ruin to our family, and murdered our mother." You snarled, refusing to look up at the man before you.

Now _that_ was interesting.

"Odin murdered your mother?"

" _Slaughtered. In front of us_."

"For what reason?"

You turned your back to Kratos and crossed your arms over your chest.

"She refused to take him as a partner after he offered for her to be his wife. Mother was a strong woman. The strongest everyone knew. She was beautiful and deadly."

"I understand where it stems from, now." The spartan murmured. Your face felt warm, but not from anger.

"I suppose that is what attracted him. It sickens me to no end knowing that Dagr would even think once about aiding **_him_**."

Kratos had begun acting out of character. For the first time, he began to shuffle about the area uncomfortably. You heard his footsteps walk about the room, enticing you to look over your shoulder. 

"Is something the matter?"

" **No.** "

You stood silent. 

" _I found an elevator!_ "

Atreus burst into the tent excitedly with a smile framing his face, only for his demeanor to fall apart instantly.

"Wow. It feels tense in here. What did you guys talk about?" He questioned.

You sighed and shook your head. "Your father only told me about what you two had found while I was asleep." You pointed towards the letter that was strewn across the floor. 

"Oh. Yeah, We're sorry you had to find out about that. What do we do now? Why did you want us to go to the peak of the mountain?"

You wrung your hands together nervously, suddenly beginning to doubt if you would be able to handle the answers if you were to receive them by going back to the place where it all began.

"That is where I found his body."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was longer than usual to make up for the last chapter that was (In my opinion) pretty short!
> 
> By the way, this is readers symbol:
> 
> https://artandspirituality.tumblr.com/image/100601802395


	7. The Dance of the Prey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be a shorter chapter. Happy Friday, everyone! Christmas is coming really soon so I am super busy, I hope you all get the presents you are wanting :)

" **Stop that, boy.** "

"What?"

" _You're kicking pebbles, little otter._ "

"So?"

" **You're disturbing the quiet. We need to listen for any trouble that may sneak up on us** "

Atreus huffed as a disgruntled expression etched itself onto his face.

"At ease. We're almost there."

The only thing to fill the empty (and awfully awkward) silence was the noise of old ropes and creaking wood from the miners' elevator that the three of you were taking to the top of the mountain. Atreus's attitude did nothing to calm the atmosphere between you and Kratos. In reality, you had no idea why the air was so tense in the first place! Ever since you mentioned that your brother was a bounty hunter for Odin, Kratos had become _incredibly_ restive. His silence felt heavier since then, and much more prominent. No matter how much you talked to him, the stubborn man only ever acknowledged his son every once in a while, but never you. You assumed that Atreus was used to such behavior.

 _That doesn't mean that I am_. 

He may not have had much to say since the very beginning, but this was ridiculous. You miss, at the very least, his little grunts and groans, because in some ways you knew for a fact he was _actually_ listening to you. Well...It's not as if you can _force_ him to talk to you. 

Well...Maybe you can, just a _little_.

 _Later_. You convinced yourself.

* * *

"Is this it?" Asked Atreus.

"Indeed it is." You replied, holding out your hand to the pitch-black path before you. 

_Luminace._ You spoke quietly and every torch that plentifully bestrewed the path instantly lit up one by one like braziers, as if leading you to your final destination. It would have been quite a pleasing sight, especially with the surrounding cobblestone painted in crystals that reflected the light from the torches. But it wouldn't be an over-exaggeration to say the route didn't look...Ghastly. In a beautiful way. If that would have even made sense if said out loud. 

"It's...There are so many bodies. Who were they?"

You led the two up the aisle. "These men were intruders. I live in between this mountain and the one across, so I've been through every possible- well..." You remembered what the two found and corrected yourself. " _Most_ pathways, leading me to meet all who inhabited these mountains as well. There weren't just miners here, you know? Little creatures lived here in the comfort of all the basalt, cobble, bedrock and silver. Unfortunately, many men came here searching for treasure. I'm not sure why. There isn't any here. Perhaps a rumor started and all who became curious decided to chase after selfish desires. This is where they ended up." You extended your arm and motioned towards the skeletons thrown to the sides of the pathway.

"As for their cause of death? I am not sure. It always seemed ominous to me that so many men were killed and not once did I sense an immense surge of power come from the mountains at the time they were massacred."

"I find that quite odd as well." Spoke Kratos ( _Finally_ ). You did not respond and simply kept walking.

_Let's give him a taste of his own medicine and see how he likes it..._

The atmosphere had gone tense once more, and Atreus being stuck in the middle (Quite literally, given he was walking between you and his father) had begun to feel uncomfortable. There was some sort of unspoken role he was playing, almost as if he were the only bridge between yourself and Kratos. He sighed quietly, unsure of what to do. 

Eventually, Your little party had managed to arrive at the peak of this mountain unharmed. There was very little combat that took place throughout your journey which was certainly unexpected, but none of you were complaining. It was only when you had arrived that you had noticed such a small fact. You wanted to point it out to the two behind you who were scanning the area for anything that would be of help, but suddenly anger bubbled in your gut. _Should I be petty, or tell them?_

It can't be that significant, can it? After some deep thinking, you decided to stay quiet.

Little did you know that this would cost you in the future.


	8. A Hero, Born Between the Mountains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How could he? If you thought you felt true betrayal when finding out that your brother worked for odin, you're in for a much bigger surprise when Atreus and Yourself find proof that your own brother planned to assassinate you as one of Odin's targets. Kratos still has a little bit of an attitude, and you find yourself almost exposing some hidden feelings to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No chapter was posted last Friday, I apologize! I wasn't able to log into my account for a whole week! Today will be an awfully long chapter to make up for not only a missing chapter, but the previous short one as well. 
> 
> Happy near year, everyone! Welcome to the roaring 20's!

_"You're getting better-"_

_"No way!" Dagr yelled before threw his sword across the field with a harsh grunt. He panted and furrowed his eyebrows. With fists clenched at the sides of his armor, he stared at the grass blanketed in morning dew, refusing to make eye contact whatsoever with you. Your demeanor stayed calm through all of this. You gently clenched your wrists behind your back out of habit and sighed quietly._

_"What is wrong? When did you begin lacking confidence? This wasn't what I taught you-"_

_"To hell with what you taught! You tell me I get better by the day, but I see no progress. I've grown Stronger, Stealthier, and Deadlier. Why is it that I can never be compared to you?! We have the same amount of power, don't we? I may not be able to use magic, but I'm still-!"_

_You gripped his shoulder aggressively and forced him to look at you. "Who is telling you all this? These thoughts do not come unprovoked, I know you. Since when did you start comparing yourself to me? We may not be the same but that is what gives us strength. We help each other with skills the other lacks-" His hand suddenly appeared before your face to stop you._

_"Oh, I see. I lack skills?"_

_"That is not what I meant, little brother."_

_"There it is! Little brother! I'm still little to you! I am a grown man now, and I'm tired of walking into that village-" He pointed towards the nearby cobblestone road that led out of the field. "And being forced to see people always greeting you with respect and others with envy! Everyone knows me as your little brother, and not a warrior!" He thrust your hands away from him by gripping your wrist and throwing it to the side. He seemed as if he was going to cry, but you knew he wouldn't let a single tear fall down his face. At least not while in your presence._

_"Dagr. Listen to me. Whoever is putting these…doubts in your head, is not doing you justice. You need confidence to be a good warrior. Without it, your abilities will be lackluster, and your strategies will crumble before you."_

_Slowly, you reached out to grab his balled fists with both hands. You shook them gently. "Don't think with these. Think with this." Your hands gripped his head gently, waiting a few moments before planting a kiss on his forehead. You could feel the heat from his anger radiating off of him, but there was nothing you could do to calm him when he got angry other than let him brood._

_"I'm gonna take a walk." He forced out, hanging his head. He turned and walked away._

_..._

_This was the last you ever saw of Dagr._

* * *

Your eyes quickly opened. You stared at the green cloth of your tent for a few minutes before deciding to sit up and take time to wake yourself. Even with the tent closed, you could see the gentle light emitting from the fire outside. It was late, and you expected the pit to be nothing but embers. _Kratos must be out there_. The thought of him riled up mixed emotions within you. Still, with all your emotional conflict, you nonetheless began to start brushing your hair and making yourself look presentable to him.

 _Should I put pants on?_ You stared down at your nightdress. It reached your knees and did nothing to compliment your figure, but…He hasn't seen much of your body shape aside from the loose-fitting under layers from two nights ago. Well…He _did_ touch your body. Maybe he knows what you're shaped like

already- _Gods, Stop thinking!_

You quickly pulled yourself up from your sitting position and huffed before walking out of your tent. Your thoughts were proven true. Kratos was sitting before a fire, his large, broad back facing you. You had no idea what he was doing, but you assumed he was just staring at the fire, thinking, given his lack of movement. Or perhaps he fell asleep?

"Kratos?"

He turned his head slightly to acknowledge your presence. _Ah. So he's awake._ You could see the fire reflect in his eyes and it stole your breath away. _What's with this guy? Why is he_ _always so…Glare-y? Is that even a word? _It's so rude, but even so, why does it make me feel so…warm?__ _Nevermind-_

Kratos watched as you moved to sit across from him, knees pulled to the side and one hand reaching out t be warmed by the flames. Nothing was said. He squinted slightly and you stared at him with puffed out lips, your expression reading 'This is very awkward'.

"It is chilly out tonight. You shouldn't be out here with… _That_ , on." Oh, how you missed his gruff, condescending voice.

"Oh, so you haven't gone mute. Well, Mr.God-Killer-" Kratos rolled his eyes at your childish remark and pulled his hand up to rest on his knee. "You're literally only wearing pants, a loincloth, and armor that's only covering one shoulder. You cannot call me out in such a way when you yourself are underdressed, hypocrite."

"This is exactly why I should have stayed quiet-"

"Well, I apologize if you can't take what you dish out."

"Watch your tone."

"I am not Atreus. I am an adult and can defend myself against you, and you will not tell me what I can and cannot do with my voice. Perhaps _you_ should watch your manners, especially with a woman." You crossed your arms.

"Adult?" He scoffed. "Hardly." You made a frustrated noise and he shook his head at the floor beneath him. "Have you come out here simply to pester me?"

"Of course not. I don't need to try." For once, he agreed. "I just couldn't sleep is all." You picked up a twig and poked at the fire.

"Nightmare?"

"Nay. Simply a memory that woke me." 

Your eyes did little to hide how dejected you were. The spartan knew better than to ask, so instead, he decided to, for once, open up about his feelings a little.

"Unfortunately, That makes two of us." Just like Kratos, You had a burning curiosity that wanted to know exactly what was in his head, but out of respect, you refused to ask. The two of you knew heartbreak, and that was the only reason you were brought together on this particular night. 

"Did you eat any of the venison?" You asked, looking up rather bashfully.

"Atreus wolfed most of it down." 

He didn't seem too bothered by it. "Well, at least you'll know he'll grow strong. As boys grow, their appetite never seems to cease. Trust me, I know." You chuckled to yourself, remembering how Dagr almost ate all the winter stashing you collected throughout the year in almost a week. 

All was still and quiet until you went back to your tent and returned with two resin mugs, and a pouch full of powder. You poured a bit of powder into each and grabbed the kettle that still held some hot water from the drinks the three of you enjoyed in the evening. After mixing it into the mugs you handed one to Kratos. He took it hesitantly and stared down at the pink liquid that seemed to swirl and shine like a galaxy. 

"What is this?" He asked. It smelled extremely sweet, much to his dismay. His face contorted slightly.

"Oh please. It isn't as sweet as it smells, I promise." You took a sip and made a noise of content. "It's a powder I made from Halahhi Berries. You know, those golden ones with the pink fluff inside?" Kratos stared at you with the flattest expression you've ever witnessed. A sigh left your lips and you pinched the bridge of your nose. "It's a fruit I gr- You know what- just drink the damn thing."

A groan left from his throat and he took a sip. You spoke truly once more. It wasn't extremely sweet. It was there, yes, but the drink was thick like syrup and had the taste of an Erro Tart, a cream tart that tasted like delicious nuts and berries. It was subtle but smooth. It was probably the most delicious drink he'd ever had. 

"Say it."

"Absolutely not."

"Ah, so you do believe it. Just say it. I won't tell anyone about how much you enjoy my little drink. Come on."

He closed his eyes and took another swig. "It's very good." He mumbled. You could barely hear it, but you knew that if you pressed on he wouldn't say it at all, so you sat there, content, sipping at your 'Lai Mead'. Or so you liked to call it, even though you knew it held no alcohol. The rest of the night was spent with the two of you sipping on your delicious 'Mead', and planning out the rest of your journey.

* * *

"This is the dumbest plan dad ever had!" 

"Well you survived this long, surely he didn't just send us out simply because he wanted to. There must be a good reason."

"I just don't think it's fair! We're out here-" He pushes a rock out the way and climbs onto a wooden platform. "While he's just relaxing back at camp."

"I highly doubt that your father is simply sitting at camp doing nothing. He doesn't seem the type. He seems more like the type to always get what he wants. Do you find this true?"

"Kind of. Whenever he's looking for something or someone, he doesn't stop until he finds it." 

"Exactly my point." He hummed in understanding while you climbed up onto the platform Atreus was on and observed the view. It was beautiful, but even with all the beauty to behold, you knew that this world was full of never-ending dangers. You tried not to dwell on the negative thoughts.

"Do you think we'll find anything up here?"

"Of course. Dagr always loved to be here so he must be hiding something. Perhaps a stash or a secret entrance. We just have to look."

And that was that. After standing there a while and enjoying the peace, the two of you agreed to split up to try and find answers. You did your best to follow paths and trails while attempting to think like your brother. You focused on trying to find traces of magic. It seemed illogical and useless given your brother knew nothing of magic, nor could he harness it, but if he could place a curse on you, then surely magic was used at some point in time. You searched for about an hour before feeling a familiar tug at your chest. This magic was dark. Something in your vicinity is cursed. You searched the flattened area that had a single boulder adorning the center, feeling the tug both become stronger and weaker at some points. After circling the area multiple times, you looked towards the large crack in the boulder. You stationed your hands behind your back and walked slowly to the left, then the right. You turned your head to the side and faced forward once more. You looked at it through every angle until-

There. Something is shining in the sunlight.

You called over Atreus and immediately, the two of you attempted to find some loosened piece of the stone. After a while, Atreus grew tired.

"Why don't we just break it open?" 

You shrugged and nodded, wondering why you didn't think of that before. You grabbed a rusted pick that was left near a dead tree, probably left by a miner long ago. After pulling it over your head, you began to strike at the stone. Bits and pieces fell until a large chunk had collapsed off of the boulder, making both Atreus and yourself jump backward to save your toes. 

"Woah…That looks expensive."

"Indeed. It has to be from Asgard, given that it's made from gold. It's puzzling me, however, as to why someone would put this in a large rock. It couldn't have belonged to Dagr, or so I believe because he never wore rings."

"We can figure it out later, let's return this to father-" Atreus reached for the ring and you yelled and immediately shot forward, gripping his wrist and pulling him back forcefully. 

"NO! Don't you dare touch it! That ring is hexed!"

Taken aback by your behavior, Atreus quickly released himself from your grip and huffed out. 

"Okay okay, jeez…"

You tore a branch off the dead tree and picked up the ring with it, putting it on a cloth and placing it in your bag for safekeeping. The two of you returned to the small camp only to find out that Kratos was not present anywhere. Atreus seemed extremely upset at this.

_"Little otter."_

You caught his attention.

"He didn't go far, I'm sure of it. I promise he'll be back soon." The young boy seemed somewhat comforted by your words, but not entirely relieved of his worries. He quietly returned into his tent. 

To pass the time, you returned to your tent as well and began to doodle in your journal. You eventually drew a little boy, a toddler. He had big eyes, that seemed to bore into yours. You were satisfied with your pretty drawing, but something about it unsettled you. You closed your journal and paid no mind to the weird feeling of deja-vu you had gotten. 

_"Did you do it?"_

You quickly looked to the other side of the tent and saw a darkened apparition. _No no no, not now-_

_"I didn't.." Responded your brother._

_"Imbecile! I told you to do so before the full moon! Now it is too late! I gave you chance after chance and you are FAILING me! How can you be the chosen hero if you can't get simple chores done?!"_

_"I'm sorry! She's my sister-" Yelled out your brother, in tears._

_"She is a danger to society, she is a bastard child! You were the one who was meant to be, not her! are you not tired of feeling second place next to her?!"_

You wanted to look away but you were frozen in place. You knew what was going to happen. The apparitions melted away into smoke, their words turning into mumbles, and then to nothing, before the smoke returned, portraying a different scene. Dagr was tied to a marble column with a small crowd behind him. A man with no shirt made his way behind your little brother, a whip in hand that seemed to have blades decorating the tip. Your brother shook violently and tears began running down your cheeks. The palm of your hand burned painfully and a scream was ready to burst from your chest but for some reason, it would not come out. You were suffocating. Drowning on land.

" _This is what happens when you don't obey the king's orders!"_ Yelled the masked man to the crowd. He paused only to violently pull the whip back and to begin lashing at your brother. His screams felt so real. His cries, his broken voice, his pain -- You felt it all. You flinched with every hit. with every scar that appeared on his back, blood pouring out the fresh wounds as if he used a knife instead of a whip. You sat there for minutes, your cheeks reddened from the heat of your anger and the irritation of your salted tears drying on them. Eventually. The masked man threw the blood-soaked whip down and cut the ropes from which dagger was bound. He fell to the floor, unconscious from the pain. The scene disappeared into smoked you watched as the waves rolled towards you, and dissipated. You could finally breathe, and after all that, you took well deserved deep breaths. You sobbed into your bedroll, hoping Atreus wouldn't hear you muffling your cries. You looked down at the palm of your hand which shook so violently the shape of it was blurred to you, Observing the lines of the curse glow like magma. You quickly fell asleep, your body immediately shutting down from the tears, physical pain, and mental trauma. 

* * *

_"Wake.."_ You stirred slightly.

 _"Now- No time…"_ You fluttered your eyes open and saw a harsh light, forcing you to close them once more. Are you moving? It felt like it. There was a bitter cold that stung at pieces of your exposed skin.

**"Father!"**

_Atreus!_

Your eyes flew open and your pupils grew small. You bolted up from your position and looked around. Were you back in the woods? What happened? 

There seemed to be lights illuminating different parts of the area, seeming to glow bright orange. Flakes of embers floated down onto the ground before you. _Fires_. You realized you quickly had to stop thinking and _get the fuck out._

You dug around for your stuff, only finding the blanket you were covered with and your satchel. Your tent, Personal belongings, and all your rations were gone. You heard a loud, deafening screech and covered your ears before standing and contouring up your spear. You were going to make a run for it but quickly remembered your favorite duo. You couldn't have gotten here on your own, quite obviously. Kratos must have carried you. But where were they? You rolled up your blanket, and put on your satchel, quickly sprinting towards the mountain Kratos had carried you down. You froze when you heard a familiar growl come from behind you.

_There is no way I did not hear this thing sneak up behind me. No way-_

You turned around slowly. Your eyes looked up and met directly with the giant golden eyes of a dragon. You gripped your spear and stood still before muttering a small "Fuck."

It opened it's mouth and you snarled aggressively. _Fine_. If he wanted a fight, he was going to get one. You saw his belly light up and inhaled sharply, preparing to dodge the beam of flames he was most likely going to aim towards you. The minute you saw those flames come up his throat, someone jumped off your shoulder and sent an arrow straight into the throat of the monster.

"Atreus!" You yelled, smiling at the boy who swiftly landed at his feet. The dragon staggered and hollered in pain, making the ground beneath your boots shake tremendously. The younger boy looked back at you with a grin and you beamed with pride. A familiar battle cry came from in front of you and you watched as Kratos flew above the Dragons head, landing his axe right between its eyes and into the bridge of it's scaled nose. It quickly shook its head, thrashing its wings about, forcing you and Atreus to dodge the movements. He yelled furiously as he continuously punched at its skull. You grew bored of simply standing on the sidelines and ran towards the beast, sliding beneath its wings that flew left and right in its attempt to throw the Spartan off of its head. The runes of your spear began to glow before you stood up, positioned your feet properly and catapulted your spear towards its head. You watched the dragon's eyes focus on you, it's pupil dilating sharply into a thin line before being pierced by your spear. Its head flew upwards and screeched loudly, forcing Kratos to stumble and jump off. You crossed your arms with a grin and watched as the dragon tried to fly upwards, only for its eye to begin to glow blue with vein like-patterns spreading towards that half of its skull, Shards of ice growing out of each crevice like crystals. Atreus lowered his bow and stared up with wide eyes, and Kratos simply stood next to his son, watching as you turned and walked away from the dragon. A few seconds later, Half of the dragons head exploded, forcing it to fall from the sky, the blood and chunks of its head scattering through the woods, and it's heavy body slamming forcefully against the earth, destroying and uprooting trees in the process. You didn't flinch, nor look back at your doing. It left a dent in the earth and you stared Kratos in the eye while holding open your hand. Your spear flew back into your grip and you stood before him with an uplifted eyebrow. 

"Look, Kratos…You are strong, and have skill…" You grinned and placed a hand on his shoulder. He hummed in annoyance. "But the next time you're going aggravate a dragon, Let me handle it."

"That…was SO cool! How did you do that?! did the dwarves do it? Did they enchant your spear to do that? or maybe it's an heirloom with ancient powers? You have to tell me!" Atreus ran towards you excitedly and you giggled, patting his head gently. "I'll tell you when we get somewhere safe, okay?"

"Oh…Alright, I guess." He shrugged and looked around for a while.

"So. What did you think?" You stared at Kratos with your hands on your hips, Your spear ghosting away. He was quiet and straightened his posture, standing tall with his arms crossed. He was attempting to look authoritative. 

"Impressive." He spoke out. He said it in a tone that didn't seem impressed at all, but you knew about this little facade he puts on. The fact that he so much as admitted it meant so much to you.

On the inside, you could feel yourself bursting with happiness and screaming. Fireworks went off in your head and you had the awful urge to squirm and squeal like a teenage girl who's crush admitted his feelings to her. But of course, you did not do so. Instead, you gave him a sly grin.

"I know." You responded, patting his shoulder and walking past him, signaling the two of them to follow you. 

* * *

"I didn't even notice these…" You wrapped the bandages around your wrists. When you had one of your brothers' flashbacks, the burning in the palm of your hand was the only thing you focused on. You never noticed how every single vein beneath your skin that spanned from your elbow to the tips of your fingers became visual on your skin, and black. It looked as if lightning had struck you, and it was hideous. 

"Do they not burn?" Asked Kratos, handing Atreus a bowl of stew in which he happily began to gobble down.

"No. Can you hand me that little metal tin on my shelf? Right over there." He tossed it towards you and you caught it in one hand, applying the thick jelly around the bandaging. By the time the three of you had managed to get back to your home, night had fallen. Your garden, full of little crickets and small insects alike contributed to a very peaceful atmosphere. You sat quietly on a cushioned chair in the corner of your living area, your eyes distant and focused on a singular spot on the wall across from you. You were completely zoned out.

"Do you want to explain to me why you were passed out like a drunkard at a bar? We tried to wake you multiple times and yet you laid still. We had begun to think you died in your sleep, but Atreus insisted you were stronger than that." 

You looked towards Kratos slowly, moving your head first, then your eyes. You noticed Atreus was no longer in the room. A small smile etched itself onto your face, clearly by force. 

"Well, Atreus thought correct. He is a clever boy after all." You sighed. "Very well. Before i had passed out i had another one of these...Flashbacks, or 'memories' from my brother. Hence why this-" You lifted your wrapped arm. "Happened. It was probably the most painful one yet. Both physically and emotionally. It showed me, presumably, one of Odin's men speaking to Dagr about...a 'chore'. And whether or not it was carried out. Putting the pieces together now, I've come to realize that his task was to assassinate me.." 

This caught his attention. He pulled up a stool and sat a few inches away from you. You decided to continue.

"I...I don't know if he meant to betray me.." Kratos furrowed his eyebrows and angrily huffed. 

"There is no such thing as an accidental betrayal. He made his decision-"

"No, you don't understand. Before the day started, I had a dream. Well, more like a memory. Remember the night we stayed up together?" He nodded.

"That night I remembered the last time I saw him. We argued because he claimed that he wasn't as good as me in combat, and that he'd never become a proper warrior. He portrayed himself as this second rate, right-hand man to me. I knew that someone was telling him things that made him doubt himself, I just didn't know who. We always lived a secluded life, and I doubted someone from the nearby village was responsible. Now...With all this new information...Odin must have been the one to exploit his lack of self-esteem. He was going through...You know. Puberty. Perhaps he saw that weakness and decided he'd be of good use to take me down. In that apparition...I remember the man saying something about him not being the hero he thought he was...It's likely that Odin convinced Dagr that he was some Hero born between the mountains or something, considering our legendary mother. Dagr probably thought that he was destined for some greatness that would be remembered for centuries, and the thought of all that power excited him and enticed him to do what he did."

"What was so great about your mother?"

Ah. He's become suspicious once more. 

"I...I can't tell you-" Kratos stood immediately and began to walk away.

"Please wait-!" You grabbed his hand and stood up from your chair.

"There is a good reason as to why I can't tell you, for both my safety and yours! I don't want you to see me in a negative light if you find out because if that happens then I wouldn't get the chance to tell you how i-"

You stared at his expression. He still seemed as stoic as ever but...There was genuine curiosity in his eyes. Perhaps even expectancy. You caught yourself and pulled away, lowering your head.

"Nevermind. G-Goodnight.." You walked back towards the east wing and disappeared into the darkened hallway. 

As he turned and began walking back towards the guest room you graciously allowed him to stay in, he felt an odd sensation of...Disappointment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who writes fanfics and/or reads them…Do you ever imagine yourself shorter or taller than you actually are? I'm a really tall girl so i usually fantasize of being much shorter for some reason. Let me know about things you change about yourself when reading fanfics!


	9. Updates!

Goodmorning to all!! This is an update concerning this fic. No it will not be discontinued! This will be the second Friday with no chapter because unfortunately the airline i was flying with broke the screen of my laptop, so i have yet to get it fixed due to financial issues. I should have it fixed by next week hopefully, but i just wanted you all to know what’s going on. Please stand by! I hope you all enjoy your Friday’s, with or without Kratos in them! 

Love, Neko


	10. Update 2

IM BACK IM BACK IM BACK! i finally attained my laptop and uploads will resume on the regular Fridays! Remember to tune in. Due to my extended absence, I promise to treat you all with a saucy chapter :) The story must go on!   
Please continue to stand by while college mercilessly beats down on my mind ;^;

-Love, Neko


	11. The Torturer and the Tortured

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will focus mainly on Kratos and Readers relationship. Not only because I owe you all for the significantly long wait, but because Reader must still recover from the journey into the mountain. It took a clear emotional and physical toll on her, allowing for (luckily) enough time to rest for both Atreus and Kratos. The reader pulls a prank on Kratos and things get a little sweaty under the collar. Some angst will be present, but not to worry my lovelies. All will end well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter is rushed and shorter than usual, forgive any minor errors :)

_When will this end?_

Kratos was back to Mr.Silent Guy and you were sick of it.

_For someone who's so strong and well-known, he's so sensitive...It's becoming quite troublesome..._

"Fetch me the hammer, boy."

You watched as Atreus ran across your lively, colorful garden to grab the utensil from your storage box. He ran back over to his father who was assembling some furniture you've yet to put together yourself. You grinned softly, waiting for the moment Kratos tapped the wood with the hammer.   
Oh, this was going to be good. Kratos grabbed it with a hum of gratitude. 

You crossed your arms and leaned against the frame of a wooden door. Kratos looked your way for just a second before furrowing his brows and stubbornly turning his head the opposing way. He can't be truly upset now can he? I mean, he was building your furniture for god's sake. Something about this domestic setting made you feel awfully happy.

_Wait- no, the prank! Focus!_

You focused on the perfectly interlocking pieces of the wooden frame with immense concentration. The second that hammer hit, you flicked your finger and golden dust seemed to fly everywhere, fogging up both Kratos's and Atreus's vision.

"Atreus-!" Yelled Kratos through some harsh coughing. He was genuinely concerned for his son's well-being until he heard a familiar giggle emit from behind him. His cheeks flushed red with anger and he wiped the dust out his eyes, rising to his full height and marching over towards where you stood. He said nothing and stared with his teeth clenched. "What. Did. You. Do."

You covered your mouth with the palm of your hand and tried your best to stifle your laughter. Atreus burst out in laughter and ended up on the grass holding his now painful belly.

Payback is a bitch.

You made the mistake of looking above his head, for he immediately walked towards the nearest body of water and stared at his reflection. 

_Ears. Perky. Fluffy. Ears._ He looked absolutely **_Ridiculous._**

"Enough of your witchcraft, Remove them at once." He clenched his fists and looked over his shoulder towards you. Or at least, where you once were. You disappeared. Or so it seemed. 

"Promise to talk to me?"

He looked forward once more to see your upside-down face. You were hanging from a low branch of a tree. He grunted aggressively and snarled at you. Atreus continued to roll in the grass, tears rolling down his face from laughter.

"Ah-ah!" You waggled your finger. "Promise."

"I don't wish to play your childish games, sorceress. I am no boy."

"No. You are very much a man.." You looked him up and down and managed to make the spartan shift his stance uncomfortably. You swung upwards and jumped off the branch, landing in front of the much larger man.

"I will remove the ears only if you speak to me in private. Kratos, this is ridiculous. You can't just stay silent every time you are upset at either Atreus or me. That is not how I work, unlike you, communicating is the best bet I usually have when resolving a problem. You don't have to use this method with Atreus but at least use it with me. It's best to apply only towards me because based on observation..." You looked towards the laughing child who was beginning to cease. "Your son has quite the **_silver tongue_**. Now listen. You're obviously upset. What's keeping you from voicing your grievances?"

"It is not my preferred method of communicating."

"Well make it your preferred method because I refuse to have a man live with me and never talk to me. This is **my** home. You don't have to do everything I say but when it comes to conflict you must at least grant me the peace of mind of knowing what bothers you so."

He so badly wanted to simply say 'Then we shall leave'. Oh by the gods he did. But there was an odd feeling inside him, almost coaxing him to stay with you. He stayed silent for a moment.

"You are mistaken. There is no conflict between us-"

"Then what is this god's awful tension I sense?"

He hummed and turned away, walking back into the house. His ears twitched in annoyance as he went and you couldn't help but giggle once more. You quickly took the hint that Kratos threw you, however, and you made sure to tell Atreus to stay outside, encouraging him to play with your "cat". 

* * *

"Damnit- Woman...This is exactly why I don't...Well, you know. "Communicate"."

"Kratos it's really not that har-"

"I TOLD YOU I DON'T KNOW!" He rushed forward and slammed both his fists on the wall behind you, leaving them damaged and cracked. You instantly flinched and looked up towards him with both hands clasped together. You had begun the conversation between the two of you by attempting to address what he feels towards you. You weren't coercing a love confession out of him, rather, you were attempting to understand his feelings towards the situation he was in with you. How did it end up like this? You refused to be scared of this man but the way he just cornered you made him extremely intimidating. You had begun to forget his strength, and how little effort it would take him to absolutely destroy you.

_Hm. It doesn't sound too bad..._

You cursed at yourself mentally for thinking such forbidden thoughts and blushed, turning your head.

"You find my anger amusing?"

"No- You misunderstand me..."

His fists clenched along with his teeth and he growled at you. _He growled._

Your breath hitched in your throat. 

"I misunderstand nothing. Do you think I can't smell it off of you? Is this why you offered for me to stay? To view me as eye candy and hoping you would bewitch me?"

You stared at him wide-eyed, forgetting that your little 'prank' not only granted him to look of a wolf but abilities as well. This included smell. You figured this is what he meant. Could he really smell your arousal? Can he sense your feelings? 

"N-No that's not it-"

"DO NOT LIE TO ME!"

"I'M NOT LYING! AND STOP YELLING!" You quickly butted in before he could continue what he was going to say. "You're misinterpreting what you feel and- well...Smell! Y-Yes...I admit you are an attractive man but you cannot hold a woman's desires against her can you? I didn't let you in because I planned on bedding you, I let you stay because I cared about your well being and most importantly, Atreus! That boy is special Kratos. You'd be a fool not to see how lucky you are to have him as a son."

"I am not blind. I see how special the boy is. He is important to me. I cannot see why he'd be important to you."

"Because he reminds me of Dagr...The quirkiness, his intelligence. He isn't as much of a brute as Dagr was but it feels good to have someone to take care of again after all these years. I'm sure he's glad as well."

The meaty arms that encompassed either side of your head fell slowly and returned back to the sides of their owner. He placed both hands on his hips and stared down at your smaller form. "So you aren't trying to bed me then?"

_When did the topic change?_

"O-Oh...Um, I wouldn't say-" One arm snaked behind your head and rested against the wall once more. He leaned down and hovered over you. You froze but quickly saw an opportunity to grab his ears and slide your fingers over them. You did it, and they disappeared and golden dust seemed to rain softly over both of you. You stared at his chest and refused to make eye contact. Everything about him is so muscular, and big, it leaves little doubt about whether he is well endowed or not. Your face flushed as much as it could and you were forced to try and flee from the situation simply out of habit.

"We should probably check on Atreus..." You grabbed his arm and tried to push it away. It didn't budge. "Kratos I think it's best if we-" You looked up to his face _right there._ Oh my. Those auburn eyes of his seemed to glow with passion. This was dangerous. This was a hard game to play when you were so obviously prey to this predator. You were being tortured and he was the torturer. Torture through teasing, and tantalization. This torment was never going to end, but then again, you couldn't help but feel as if it just began. You failed to notice his hand on your waist since it ghosted there for a good while, before giving it a good squeeze. You gasped out.

"You weren't paying attention."

_Of course, I can't, not with you so close to me like this!_

_"oh.._ " Your words barely came out as a squeak. You cleared your throat and grabbed the large hand that held your waist.

"Correct- I mean...I can't when you're...Well, um- Ugh I'm sorry-"

He pulled away fully and stood up straight.

_Were you so awkward that you turned him off?! oh no-_

No more than a second later had Atreus walked in. Ah. That's why. He stared at the two of you with a confused look and pointed towards the door.

"There are some animals eating your herbs."

You stood there without a care in the world, taking a second to process everything he said before widening your eyes.

_**"What?!"** _

You practically zoomed out the door and watched in horror as oversized rabbits chewed carelessly at your bushels of carefully picked herbs and fruits.

"No! Off!" As you chased the animals away and yelled in anger. Kratos shook his head and looked towards his son. "You couldn't have scared them away on your own?"

"It didn't work father. I tried, Really. They're super stubborn. But they seem to be scared of her for some reason."

"Perhaps they've encountered her before and know what happens when she becomes upset."

"If that's the case why still come back?"

"Impudence, boy."

* * *

The rest of the day had gone by uneventful. You checked your bandaging multiple times and found nothing too worrying. The scars that extended from your hand and up your arm seemed to be healing quite nicely thanks to your personal concoctions of ointments. Atreus and Kratos had gone out hunting, but as Kratos left he rested his hand on the small of your back and assured you they two of them would return safely. You did nothing to doubt him. It had been a few hours since then, with the sun setting quickly. You could still feel the heat if his hand on your lower back, and because of it, you had to relieve yourself earlier in the day. You never thought it would come to that but alas. Even you are aware of the unpredictable power that spartan has on you.

You paced. You brewed. You concocted potions. You made cures for ailments. You planted. You cooked. You organized your home, replaced the boys' sheets and gave Atreus a thicker blanket of much softer fur. It was white and felt like silk. You toyed with your seidr and practiced everything you could from cloning to summoning.

_Where were they?_

_You had begun to think that perhaps Kratos feared he was getting too close to you, and left._

**You slept little to nothing that night.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SORRY FOR THE ENDING! I promise everything will be okay! I rushed this just so you all have something to read while I create the next few chapters :) Excuse any minor errors!


	12. Welcome (To our) Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader is extremely angry at Kratos after he and Atreus wind up never returning back from their "Hunting trip". She refuses to go looking for them, hoping that they'd return on their own. She runs into a familiar face after angrily making her way to a nearby village for daily supplies. 
> 
> Kratos has gone ghost, and no one knows why. Atreus seems to think he's simply mourning, but perhaps it has more to do with the reader than anything. The reader is left in the dark, and forced to discover the source of his weird behavior on her own.

_Punch, Punch._

_'Little-'_

_Is he really little? No._

_Punch Punch, Punch_

_'Lying-'_

_But he has never lied to you. Are you being fair right now?_

_Punch punch_

_'BASTARD!'_

**_PUNCH_ **

You mercilessly beat at the conjured up straw dummy before you. Its head was gone after you took your last swing, sending it flying across your yard. It had been almost a week since Kratos had left and you've been nothing but miserably angry. You were upset that he didn't tell you he'd be gone for so long. What if Atreus got hurt again? What if they're both in danger? No...Kratos wouldn't allow it. Would he? Did they journey too far and get lost? Your head was creating scenario after scenario, and they did nothing but swim in your mind, taunting you. Why were you so worked up anyway? You had only known him for about a month now...

You spent the whole day like this. Brooding. Sulking. You ate the small provisions you had and decided to get some air. After packing a small satchel with the necessities, you dressed in your usual hunting wear. There was no need for your cloak as the climate had been getting warmer, and you knew without even having to leave your home simply because your nose felt a little itchier than usual. 

"Damn the springtime. Ridiculous. Fucking ridiculous." You murmured to yourself angrily. Hours went by and you took multiple breaks to recollect yourself and rest. Your arm which was black from your visible veins was beginning to ache. It had never caused you pain before, Where did this dull aching come from? You weren't sure, nor did you care. As you walked the path that leads to the nearby village you'd run through every now and then for some provisions, You heard rustling in the nearby bushes. You turned your head and stared at said bush for a long time before the bush behind you rustled. You immediately twirled your spear after conjuring it and holding it firmly in your hand. Whatever was going to bother you better walk the fuck away because you were _not_ in the mood. 

You turned in a very slow circle. Damn the flush flora that covered these parts of the woods. You couldn't see what was behind them from how dense they were with leaves. 

"Whoever- no, whatever is here, come out! immediately!" 

The leaves rustled even more before you heard a faint buzzing in your head.

'Just-...e!' Seemed to echo in your brain

You clenched your teeth and kept focus, trying to ignore the distraction.

'It's just me! don't attack please!'

_Atreus?_

All too suddenly he ran out the bushes with his hands up, small leaves in his now tattered short hair. You immediately dropped your spear which melted into a puddle as it fell and ran towards the boy, hugging him. 

"Atreus! Where have you been! Oh, I've missed you little otter-"

He laughed and hugged back. 

"I missed you too. I'm okay."

"Wheres Kratos? Have you eaten today? Where have you two been stay-"

"We went back home." He ignored your bombardment of questions.

**_"Oh."_ **

Atreus seemed a little...somber. You wondered what happened. One thing was for sure, and that was that you were absolutely pissed. You never took Kratos for a liar and deceiver. And he wasn't with Atreus! You thought those two to be inseparable.

You began to speak quietly. "So..You two really did leave me-"

"No! We- We wouldn't leave and abandon you without saying anything. Though, we kind of did...It just- It wasn't intentional. Father and I _really were_ hunting. We went out camping for what he said would be a day or two to build up a stash but he never followed through. After the first night, he didn't seem the same. I knew you'd be worried after a few days so I went looking for you. Something is wrong with father..."

Your anger dissipated slightly and eventually completely wore off. You sighed heavily and continued to hold Atreus for a little while longer before putting him down, Simply for comfort.

"Do you know what it is? What happened to Kratos?"

"No, I'm not sure...He just seems...sad. I've only ever seen him like that after mom died. But nothing bad happened this time, at least I don't think so."

"No, of course not. Your father is just...a very confusing person."

Atreus giggled. "Yeah, that he is."

"You came looking for me on your own." You stated with your hands on your hips. Your tone was one of clear disaccord to this fact.

"He didn't even try and stop me and ask where I was going."

You scoffed. "Some father." You scorned Kratos in your mind. "Come. Show me the way to your home and we will see what I can do about his sudden melancholic attitude."

"Oh! Okay." 

* * *

And so began the days-long journey to Kratos and Atreus's home. You were both excited and scared, worried about seeing Kratos again, but excited that Atreus is willing to trust you and let you know where his permanent home is. It was a hard walk, Little to no trails, leaving you to constantly step over brushes, logs, fallen trees, and all other obstacles. In fact, you weren't sure if you saw _any_ trails after passing through the village. 

"I guess your father really doesn't want anyone finding out where you guys are, huh?"

"Nope. He enjoys his privacy, or so he likes to say."

"So I've learned." Your mind returned you to when Kratos mentioned how he doesn't exactly like voicing what bothers him. A few hours passed, and the sun had set. Atreus led the way with your assistance. You had conjured up a luminous orb to light your "Path". He could've simply used the small lantern he had in his bag, but alas, the boy was always so intrigued with what you could do with your magic, hoping one day he could harness such power.

"We're here. See this?" He pointed towards a tree that had a golden handprint on it and ran his own hand over it. You sensed a strong force of magic similar to yours when nearing it.

"Protection spell?"

"I think so. When dad and I climbed the mountain over there-" He pointed towards the nearest one with a very distinct peak.

"We could see the perimeter of it. It was really cool."

You smiled at his peppy tone. "I bet it was. Now then, let's get a move on shall we?" With a small 'Mhm', Atreus led you towards a small clearing with a cliff. It had a ravine separating the two sides, and what seemed to be lots of manmade damage. A fight went down here. Probably involving Kratos.

"This is where father fought Baldur."

_Ah. That piece of-_

"I didn't get to see, unfortunately-" He jumped over the ravine and urged you to do the same. You hopped over.

"But I heard everything. Baldur was a pretty bad guy."

"He was the worst. If only Freya would just see past her mother's grief."

"Yeah. If only."

As the pair of you walked, you began to spot the top of a small abode. You assumed this was Kratos's home. The closer you got, the smaller it seemed. It was a good size, but you only wondered how a man as big as he could ever be comfortable in such a snug home. Overall? It was actually quite cute. You saw no sign of Kratos, however. Atreus began to run towards the home and turn around. He raised his arms and smiled. 

"Welcome to our home!" Atreus turned and opened the door, calling out for his father. Their home was empty.

"Do you think he went out looking for you?"

"I think so. We can stay here till he comes back, I think you should stay anyway. It's a long way back to where you live." The minute he reminded you of how long a walk it would be, you immediately began to feel tired. Your calves were beginning to tense and ache. the traveling was getting to you and you instantly found yourself sitting on a small wooden stool near the fire pit located at the center of their home. Atreus began digging around a large dark oak shelf and pulled out a large book. He presented it to you with a smile. 

"What's this?" You asked, grabbing the thick leather book. It had a blue gem in the middle and was surrounded by some Norse runes you recognized.

"It's a storybook, and it has spells in it. The lore accompanies each spell presented in there. My mom used to read it to me, but she never taught me the spells since she said i was still too young."

"I agree. You're strong, Atreus, and very skilled. But powers develop with age, and I believe no better than your father that you will become very powerful as you grow." You smiled down at the boy who sat in front of you. You opened the book to a random page and skimmed through it until you found a suitable story.

"Has your mother read you all the stories in this book?"

"No, We never had enough time to read or even finish some of the stories."

"Well here's to hoping your father comes back really late." The two of you laughed a little as you presented the story to him. With one hand under the spine, and another holding two pages apart, you began to read off each line of the lore, having Atreus's full attention.

* * *

If there was one thing Kratos never condoned, it was misbehavior. Atreus had run off and hadn't said a word. He combed the woods and even traveled to the mountain that once held the black breath. No sign of him. He tracked him, only to lose the tracks once leaving the perimeter of the marked trees. The boy learned a lot from Kratos, and this was one of many times Kratos found this to be both a blessing and a curse. He groaned softly and turned away from the marked tree he was in front of. Atreus could make it on his own in the nearby wilderness, but one never knew, and so the spartan was left uncertain of his son's wellbeing. He was _worried._

Kratos figured it best to simply head back home.

_The boy will return eventually._

-

Kratos opened the wooden door and sighed, placing his ax down near the door. He undid the strap around his torso, letting his shoulder padding fall to the floor. He looked up and froze. There you were. In the flesh. In his _home_.

Atreus was on your lap, head against your collarbone. his hand was placed on the book Faye used to read to him, and so was yours. The pair of you? Knocked out cold. He could hear the synchronization of both your snores, and for some reason, a wave of relief washed over his body, heat also seemed to swell up in his chest. Seeing you with his son, comfortable, safe, and near him sparked a familiar feeling of domesticity in him. He felt a strong urge to protect both of you. Kratos walked slowly towards you two, noticing that you stopped snoring to smack your lips together. You stirred. He carefully reached out and cupped the side of your head with his large hand. his thumb caressed your temple softly before pulling away. That is until you grabbed his wrist and smiled, placing his hand back on the side of your head. You slowly opened your eyes and looked up at his burning ones. You grinned even more before you let the smile dissipate into a frown. Your eyebrows furrowed and you growled softly at him.

"You are lucky your son is in my lap. I am infuriated with you."

"Then why did you return my hand to its place?" He spoke quietly. You saw a ghost of a grin on his face. Gods, his voice made your whole body tremble with its deepness. 

"Because I missed you."

His heart thumped, and for once, it wasn't due to adrenaline from a fight.

You allowed him to remove his hand, so he could pick up Atreus and place him in bed. You stood and stretched your legs, pulling your arms above your head to stretch those as well. Your back was turned to Kratos, which you learned very quickly that you should never do (Or perhaps you should) Because as your arms were pulled back down, you felt the immense heat of his hand on the back of your neck, moving upwards and cupping your hair to pull it to one side. He placed his nose in the nook of your shoulder and took a soft whiff of the only piece of exposed skin from your outfit. The shoulder of your very loose green blouse had fallen while you slept. You were frozen in place, eyes half-lidded and full of lustful heat. 

_no! you are angry at this man, remember?!_

_Oh, yeah._

You immediately pulled away from him and turned, pulling up the part of your blouse that fell. You stared at him and tried to get angry like you once were. You couldn't. Instead, seeing his serious face made tears well in your eyes. You knew that he was thinking hard, but right now your emotions were getting the best of you, and your natural instinct was to assume he simply did not care about you, and instead only cared about your sex appeal. Oh, how the tables have turned, from him assuming you only wanted him for the realization of a sexual desire, to you assuming the same about him. You looked down and without a word, slowly collected your bag and thin cloak you brought along, and walked out his home. You didn't leave the area. Instead, you went back to that clearing near the cliff, where he had presumably fought Baldur.

You sat at the edge and sighed. You were taking time to calm yourself and sort this flurry of emotions you were feeling, out. 

"Please, Kratos, enough with the awkward silences. Say something."

You knew he was behind you.

"I don't know what to say."

"How about you start with, oh I don't know...Why you left and never returned?"

Silence ensued. You sighed again. This was hopeless. why was he so secretive? The sky was turning lighter as you let a tear fall from one of your eyes. The sun was coming up. 

You heard his heavy footsteps get nearer. He crouched next to you. 

"I was scared."

_Impossible._

"Of me-?"

"No." He said firmly, before groaning in annoyance. "I am terrified of no one, especially not a woman as small as yourself."

_Ah. Of course._

"I was scared of myself. It was odd to feel things for someone I've only ever felt for one person."

So he was feeling guilty? Or is he scared of starting over? You assumed the latter.

"Kratos...You didn't have to tell me anything about what you felt but you could have at least told me you were going back home. I spent a week entirely miserable."

As the sun came up, he began to notice your features light up. You looked a little thinner than normal. He assumed you weren't eating as much as you should. He began to think that this was his fault since he was initially in charge of hunting for food for your home. He felt a pang of guilt before quickly ignoring it in an attempt to keep focus on the topic at hand.

Say it.

"I'm..."

You looked up slightly at him, a glimmer of hope in your eyes. 

Just apologize.

"I...Can't say i-"

"Why?" You began to become upset once more. "Do you not care enough to say it?" You let the dam loose, the faucet in your eyes was finally turned. 

"You know that is not the reason."

"then why?!" You gripped his shoulder and leaned forward, looking him directly in the eyes. He spoke your name with widened eyes.

"What?" you looked at him with a bit of surprise. Was something on your face?

"Your eyes. They have turned grey." He was afraid you had gone blind, unreasonably so.

"Huh? Oh-" You let go and turned away. You quickly apologized, explaining to him that this was something also out of your control. Just like your brother's memories, only this was no curse, rather, genetics. He understood. The sunrise began to warm your all-of-a-sudden cold body. You crossed your arms and looked up at Kratos who was now standing along with you.

"I am sorry."

Your guard had fallen all too suddenly and your angered expression fell to one of concern.

"Kratos-"

"You did not deserve to feel all that distress. You were simply worried about Atreus and I."

"Yes...I suppose so." You spoke with surprise in your voice. "Well...you- uhm...You are forgiven."

The spartan lifted an eyebrow and placed his hands on his hips with a soft grunt.

"Really! I mean it."

"So. Does this mean I gained permission to continue what I was doing?"

"Is that all you were worried about?" You deadpanned.

"Of course not. But it's a pleasure I'd like to seek out now that I am within your good graces once more."

Your cheeks began to heat up. You nodded softly and looked towards the intimidatingly large man walk up to you. You instinctively backed up against a tree. His hands slowly moved towards your ribs, gripping the general area beneath your breasts. It was a single touch, yet every hormone in your body seemed to activate, making the heat between your legs throb and prepare itself for what you hoped was to come. He slid them down your waist and leaned forward to press his nose to your hair, inhaling your natural scent that seemed to drive him wild. His nose moved downward until it was pressed to yours. His hand brought your hip against his, making you jump up in surprise. Oh. Oh my. The mass amount of heat coming from that area. The stiff feeling. You knew exactly what was touching you and norns help you, you were ready to pass out from the mere feel of it. You began breathing heavily, using your hands to grip his large biceps. 

"Kratos-"

"Silence."

He scorned you. His lips grazed yours and you became brave enough to peck his lips ever so gently. He grinned, and in turn, made your body burn with a violent desire. He thrusted once, very gently between your legs and you made a soft noise of approval.

"You are a mess." He quipped. You grunted and gently slapped his arm. his lips parted softly and so did yours. Just before a real kiss finally took place, you heard a familiar wooden door creak open.

"Father?" Atreus spoke your name afterward. The two of you froze, and Kratos hesitantly stepped back. You huffed angrily and sighed.

**_"Atreus..."_ **


	13. Felicity requires patience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader and Kratos are both frustrated after being rejected their pleasures by Atreus's sudden appearance, but Atreus is just too cute to stay mad at. Reader Decides to teach Atreus a few things about sorcery, and Kratos and Reader begin to give in to their feelings for one another. This chapter is very slice-of-life ish!

The two of you quickly released one another, and Atreus called out once more for his father. 

With a heavy sigh, you responded. "We are here, Atreus!" You walked away from the tree your back was pressed against and looked at the boy who had a confused expression on his face. He smiled the minute he saw your face and ran towards you. You grinned. There was no way in hel you could be upset at Atreus. Though, of course, Kratos would easily disagree with you, if you asked. 

"You're up early, boy."

"He's right. The sun only just rose. You only slept a few hours. You don't want to sleep in today, little otter?"

Atreus shook his head. "No. I don't feel very tired, and I guess I'm just awake because I'm so excited to have you with us again." He admitted.

"How touching. Get back inside." Responded Kratos, before you could even get a word in. You gave him with a judgemental look and gently grabbed Atreus so he would stand in front of you. "Absolutely not. Let the boy indulge in my presence."

"You are not special."

_Ouch. Great. Here comes that cold demeanor that he so often graces me with._

"I didn't mean for it to sound so narcissistic...Just, let Atreus spend some time with me. It's long overdue that we go on a little adventure together!" Atreus responded with excitement, beginning to beg his dad with a bombardment of "Please!". Kratos only groaned in disapproval. Of course, whether he said yes or no, you would still sneak Atreus out. It must be tiring being with the spartan all the time. He's so... _Negative_. Of course, you did not blame him. The two of them are alive only because of Kratos's intuition and survival-driven personality. Nevertheless, Your mission to take Atreus out and teach him as you did Dagr will not be compromised. 

Kratos crossed his arms and stared down at Atreus with a disapproving look. You took it upon yourself to grab his chin and lift it up to where his eyes met yours. He looked a bit surprised. You met his stare with an icy cold one. Atreus was heavily amused. But he began to realize just how weird it was that his own father allowed you to touch him in such a way. Usually, he'd avoid- _Oh._

Atreus began to think back at those awkward moments between yourself and his father. Could it be-? 

His thoughts were interrupted by Kratos clearing his throat. You deadpanned and let go of his face, bringing your hand to rest on Atreus's shoulder. "Kratos. You can trust me. Nothing bad will happen to Atreus."

"That is not what I am worried about. Atreus can handle himself in any situation. I've seen him do it before." 

Was that...Pride?

Atreus puffed out his chest and smiled at you with a toothy grin. 

_These two are too much..._

"Then what are you worried about?"

"Nothing you should concern yourself with." He unsheathed his axe from behind him and began walking away. He lifted his hand lazily and let it fall back beside him. 

"Go." He said huskily.

You shivered a little. Atreus looked at you with an exciting look and quickly ran back into the house, passing his father and gathering his quiver and bow before running back outside to your side.

"What will we be doing?"

You laughed softly at his excitement and crouched next to him, patting your shoulders. He quickly climbed on and you stood back up. 

"We will be doing some training."

His face fell and you could sense his mood change, even without looking at him. 

"With magic~" You sang. 

He immediately perked back up. 

"Awesome! I can't wait!"

Kratos watched you two walk away. He turned around and continued into his home, a small, amused smile on his face.

* * *

A majority of time spent was of you two goofing around in the forest. Playing tag, crafting items from the nearby flora. At one point, Atreus grew tired of the games and simply wanted to learn what you were willing to teach. You had told him that the main thing you wanted to assess was telepathy. You had asked him if it was something he could always do. Apparently, This ability only came recently. And often only worked with beings that were not human. He wasn't sure why he could communicate with you. In fact, he believed it to be an accident.

"An accident?"

"I was saying that stuff in my head but didn't actually expect you to hear it. It was...weird."

"Indeed. I actually know very little about telepathy. I can do it, but i don't know much about it. My access to knowledge was very limited as a child. My only source of knowledge was from my mother."

"So you learned everything else on your own as you grew up?"

you nodded your head and sat down on a tree stump. A majority of what you learned after your mother passed was from nature. There were many times where you neared death because of your burning curiosity and no adult to mitigate the danger you were to put yourself in, But you believed it paid off. You carried a heavy book in your satchel everywhere you went. It was full of years worth of knowledge and notes. Little doodles and scribbles you made yourself as you learned new abilities and what they were, and could be used for. You put everything in that book, From the beasts you've discovered, to how to tame them, if they could be tamed. The type of dangerous, poisonous, or edible plants you could utilize. You held the ability to both heal and harm. You've yet to discover everything, however. You doubt that you would be able to in your lifetime anyway. 

Atreus listened intently as you explained all of this.

"Sorcery is hard, is what I am trying to say. You will not learn everything in one day, not even in a month, It may take a very long time, which is why one of the most important things you must have is patience."

"Was Dagr patient?"

"Absolutely not. Which is why I am in the predicament I am in, in the first place. He was meant to be a warrior, not a sorcerer. As you get older Atreus, There will be people who look down on you because you do sorcery, if you go down that path, that is."

"How come? Lots of people do magic. My mom did it!"

"Indeed but...A majority of those who do sorcery are women-"

"There are no men who do sorcery?"

"Well- yes...But they are not very common. And people tend to make fun of them because sorcery is seen as something only a woman does."

Atreus seemed befuddled. "That seems...Dumb."

You laughed. "Yes, Indeed it is."

"Well- I don't care. I wanna learn anyways."

You smiled at his enthusiasm and determination. This boy is going to go places.

Eventually, nightfall was right around the corner, and the two of you had to return. The rest of the day after the two of you chatted was spent _actually_ teaching him about all you've learned about your own abilities, simply so he could get an understanding that even if you are blessed with certain powers, you can always learn more. Atreus ended up being interested the most in a conjuring technique. Being able to summon and dispel any object. You were proud of him. 

* * *

Kratos flared his nostrils at the sight of you two covered in dirt and leaves. The two of you looked down as if you were in trouble for bringing in muddied shoes into the house.

"Atreus. Bath."

The small boy groaned and lolled his head around his shoulders before stepping outside. 

"And how will I bathe?" You raised a brow and looked up at the spartan with crossed arms.

"You don't." He deadpanned. Kratos walked past you and joined his son outside as they made their way to the back of the house. You stood where you were with wide eyes.

_W h a t?_

_Oh. Wait._

With a flick of your wrists, your clothing quickly changed from hunting wear to normal wear. You absolutely refused to wear any of your nightwear in this household. It would be embarrassing, and the last thing you wanted was Kratos's eyes traveling up and down your body. Especially after this morning. You wouldn't be able to handle it. With a small rag, you warmed up some water over the fire pit centered in the hut and dipped it, washing your face and hands with it. You could hear the sound of splashing from outside the house and could only imagine Atreus causing trouble for his father. The thought made you giggle. You combed your hair with a comb you kept in your satchel and picked out the individual leaves you came across as you brushed it. Kratos returned with a much cleaner Atreus, in much cleaner clothing. 

"Huh? how did you take a bath?" Atreus asked as Kratos pushed back his wet hair on his head.

"I didn't." You glared at Kratos. He ignored your expression and walked past you with a small hum.

Atreus shrugged, knowing you probably did a little magic and headed to bed. That was that.

As Kratos settled him in, you sat on a stool in the corner and searched around your satchel. You weren't looking for anything in particular, you were simply occupying yourself until you found something interesting. You began to think to yourself about Kratos. He's quite the character indeed. 

_Kratos is...Annoyingly stoic. But that is good, right? Was this morning a mistake? did it even happen? It didn't feel real. Why am I thinking right now?_

Kratos noticed that you stopped moving and saw you staring blankly inside your bag.

_But it felt good. To have Kratos actually talk to me. Should I try and pursue a relationship with him? Does he even want that? Why is it that every time it becomes late at night I have these thoughts? Ugh-_

Kratos looked back at Atreus who had his back turned to the two of you. The spartan strode over and crouched to your level. You looked up at him with widened eyes. 

"Huh? Yes? Is something the matter?"

"I thought you fell asleep with your eyes open."

You gave him a blank stare and lifted an eyebrow. "Funny joke."

"Something ails you." He pulled up a chair and sat in front of you, leaning forward with his arms flat against his legs, and his hands holding one another. "Tell me."

"You? Interested in how I feel?"

"Don't make me regret what happened this morning." He whispered in a menacing way. His eyes turned cold. Boy, He was serious. His demeanor alone made you straighten your back and properly look him in the eye. You wanted to say something but quickly stood, motioning for him to follow you outside. He did. The two of you stood next to the entrance of his home and you stared at the grass below you. 

"I was...Just worried. This morning was very intense and-"

"So what is the issue?" He took a step closer. You cleared your throat and looked to the side with worry. 

"Nothing is wrong, per-say...It's just...Kratos. I really like you." Your eyes looked upwards to meet his. He almost looked amused. You looked back down and avoided his gaze. Why did he have to always seem so condescending?

"And, I love Atreus as if he were my own..."

"Mhm..."

He inched closer, but you were so caught up in toying with your fingers and trying to think of what to say next that you didn't notice. He placed a hand near your head and leaned further down.

"So I don't want you to think of me as just some...I don't know...Tryst."

"I don't think of you like that. You are surprisingly powerful. You are no ordinary woman." You blushed at his compliment. He continued by lifting your chin with his large hand.

"I think of you as prey..."

_Wait. What?_

You didn't know what that entailed. all you knew was his lips because those were what came down upon your own after his words left his mouth. The earthy scent he had was intoxicating. You wrapped your arms around his neck and the two of you continued your little secret make-out session in front of the house. He pulled away after a while to slowly explain himself.

"You are small..."

There was a kiss.

"Surprisingly fast on your feet-" _Another._

You began to feel dizzy. 

"I constantly smell your scent, eager to hunt you down-"

He gave two, much deeper than the others, and a lot more enthusiastic.

"I'm always eager to _eat_ you-"

"Kratos.." You softly moaned out just before he kissed you.

The kissing session slowed down and eventually halted to a point where the two of you were out of breath. Well...more you than Kratos. Your foreheads were pressed together and his hands had finished roaming _almost_ every part of your body. "You must understand that I am no mere man." He spoke out, breaking the comfortable silence.

"I have a bad history. I am not a good person."

"I am not asking for a good man. I am asking for _you_." 

Kratos groaned softly at your response, and you could easily tell that it was one of longing. He wanted you just as much as you wanted him. But this would have to wait. You reminded yourself that felicity requires patience.

The two of you spent the rest of the night sitting outside and for once, talking. Not about anything in particular, but just...talking. Kratos didn't say much on his part, but then again, you expected nothing more from him. There was a point throughout the night where you began to tell him about Atreus's growing interest in sorcery. Kratos seemed apprehensive about it all. There was no doubt in your mind it was most likely because he wanted Atreus to be more physical when it came to combat. You reassured him that no matter what path Atreus decides to take in his life, he will always be, and continue to become increasingly powerful, especially with his fathers' guidance. Silence ensued after your little speech. That is until you decided to admire Kratos's form and have your eyes land on a familiar bulge.

"Kratos." You said with little to no amusement in your voice.

He made a noise of acknowledgment.

"Are you seriously aroused right now?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "I just...enjoy when you speak." 

Oh, _how touching_. If only you two were not simply a mere few feet away from a sleeping Atreus. You highly doubted this was the reason. You heavily sighed.

"Kratos..."

"...Sorry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey my lovelies! I am so sorry for not uploading these past few weeks. Lots of changes have been made because of the coronavirus, including me having to move out of college and come back home. Me and my mother have been very sick. We do not have the virus (We have not been tested) But so far it only seems to be a few cold symptoms and nothing more. I have been resting a lot and will be better soon. I, however, feel bad for making you all wait for a new chapter without explanation, so I'm writing this even though i am sick. forgive any errors in this chapter. Please remember to stay safe, wash your hands, and social distance! I love you all. Thank you for supporting my writing. It helps me continue!


	15. Update - COVID 19. Stay safe!

**Good day to all of you.**

**IM BACK!**

So much happened since the school year ended and COVID has been really hard on us, especially in NYC where I live. Things have simmered down here when it comes to the spread but it's still very much here and alive, and no less forgiving than when it first arrived. I have a very VERY long chapter underway so put on your big boy/girl pants because this one is going to be a ride. Lots of ideas came to me during my leave of absence and I'm excited to share everything with you all. Your undying support and love for my work helped me get back on track and helped me build up the courage to finally begin writing again. My days of mourning my losses are over and the only thing hindering me these past few days was insecurity. I never lost my passion to write this story but I became scared. I know most of you who stuck around for this story aren't here now but maybe those people will return and come back to a much longer and fulfilling story. But for those of you still here? Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. 

Please stay safe. Please stay healthy. Social distance and wear your masks.

Alright, enough feelings, you'll have plenty of those in the next chapter. 

**It's time to write**

**Bye-bye for now, my lovelies <3.**


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